At around 9:30 pm, the entire stretch to Jhelum lawns from Ganga dhabha was flooded with students as they were heading to hear what all the presidential candidates had to say
Ahead of student union polls, the Jawaharlal Nehru University organised the much awaited presidential debate late on Wednesday night with a differently abled independent candidate Md Farooq Alam outshining others with his satirical attacks, dotted with one-liners on all student political groups for doing “petty” politics at the campus.
At around 9:30 pm, the entire stretch to Jhelum lawns from Ganga Dhaba was flooded with students as they were heading to hear what all the presidential candidates had to say. Amid the thrilling sound of dhaflis and tambourine, conch shell was also played each and every time a candidate delivered some catchy one liner.
Seven candidates are competing for the top post of the JNU Student Union (JNUSU) for which polls are scheduled on Friday. Alam’s turn, however, came after three candidates but he left the audience in fits of laughter as he ripped apart all left, right and Ambedkarites.
“Five years back when I joined JNU, left showed me a dream of Azadi. But, when I actually started speaking about it, I was told not to expect to turn that dream into a reality,” Alam said.
He also lambasted Ambedkarite student group Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA) and RSS-affiliated ABVP. “BAPSA played ‘Shakuni mama’ in JNUSU movement throughout the year and the ABVP has taken a charge to issue certificated of ‘nationalism’ at the campus,” Alam said, with supporters cutting across all political groups gave him standing applause.
Among the major issues raised in the debate that went on till 1 am, was missing student Najeeb Ahmed, seat cut in research courses, fund cuts in central universities and the rise of “saffron forces” across the country. Geeta Kumari, the presidential candidates of the left alliance-- All India Students Association (AISA), Students Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Students Federation (DSF) -- and BAPSA attacked ABVP for indulging in violence in Najeeb issue.
Amid slogan, taken from a Bollywood movie ‘Naam Shabana’, BAPSA’s Shabana Ali traded guns at the left alliance for indulging in “casteist” politics. Presidential candidate of AISF, which is a part of the alliance, CPI leader D Raja's daughter Aparajitha Raja raised issues of Tamil Nadu farmers, Chattisgarh adivasis, and murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru.
Interestingly, ABVP’s candidate Nidhi Tripathi avoided giving “nationalist” angle to her speech and rather raised issues like "ineffectiveness" of the placement cell and installation of sanitary pad vending machines at the campus. Congress-backed NSUI’s candidate Vrishnika Singh promised to retain JNU’s “freedom square”, the area was “caged” by the Varsity with iron grills in December last year.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "JNU_PRESIDENTIAL_CANDIDATES_(FAROOQ_ALAM_IN_CENTRE)")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}