Intolerance rose faster in past 2 years: Kanhaiya during Bihar homecoming

Getting a VIP treatment from the Nitish Kumar government on his "homecoming" in Bihar, Jawaharlal University Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar on Saturday exhorted the followers of various ideologies to join hands and foil the bid of the saffron brigade to impose a particular belief on the nation.

On his maiden visit to his home state for the first time since he was jailed on the sedition charges, Kanhaiya said that the Constitution had ensured several fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, to the citizens. "But such liberties are under threat now because a particular ideology is being thrust upon the people," he said.

"There is a bid to replace the Tricolour in the hand of Bharat Mata with the saffron flag." The Bihar-born students' leader said the followers of all ideologies, from those of Gandhi and Ambedkar to Lohia and Karpoori Thakur, should all join forces to thwart such attempts in a bid to save democracy.

Kanhaiya said it was not the first time the country was witnessing intolerance but it had definitely increased over the past two years. He said that the advent of technology had made life easier nowadays but the same technology was being used to spread lies and confusion instead of helping ameliorate the condition of the poor people. "Our fight is against an ideology in which personal interest takes precedence over the welfare of the nation," he said.

On this occasion, Kanhaiya said the total prohibition imposed by the Nitish Kumar might be apt in the context of Bihar since consumption of liquor had been a major cause for domestic strife street violence in society but it would be wrong on the parameters of the freedom of expression and freedom of choice. Denying that he intended to join electoral politics, he called for early polls in all the universities of Bihar.

Kanhaiya said he had not projected himself to be poor for the sake of fashion but he indeed belonged to an underprivileged family. "In today's age, anybody can do a sting operation on my family to know its economic status or see the balance in my bank account," he said. He said he had been travelling by air because of the donations collected by the students and their associations. "If all the students of JNU contribute only `10 each, enough money would be on hand to fund my travel from one place to another to raise our voice," he said.

Kanhaiya, who arrived in Patna by an early morning flight to a hero's welcome, received extraordinary security from the Nitish Kumar government. At least two DSPs, several inspector-rank officials besides a posse of policemen followed the controversial student leader with an anti-riot vehicle an ambulance and patrol cars.

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