Clashes erupted at the Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University in the Wardha district of Maharashtra after a student group supported by the left-wing community allegedly used objectionable words for the Ram Navami Shobha yatra. The university administration said the students supported by the left-wing community used derogatory language for Lord Ram on the evening of Ram Navami.
The saga began on March 26, when a Dalit student identified as Rajneesh Kumar Ambedkar launched a 4-day protest against the university alleging that the authorities were not evaluating his 11-month-long pending PhD thesis. Ambedkar alleged that he had submitted his thesis in April 2022, but the authorities at the university were not reviewing it because he is a Dalit. He alleged that the University was indulging in casteism in his case.
In the later days, a few more students happened to join Ambedkar who demanded an immediate evaluation of his PhD thesis. The University Vice Chancellor Rajneesh Kumar Shukla commented on the matter saying that the students supported by the left-wing community were creating unrest and communal discord at the university. He also said that Ambedkar and other students supporting him had launched the protest in front of the main gate of the university administration department.
The administration further stated that the protesting students used objectionable words for the Ram Navami Shobha yatra and also used derogatory language for Lord Rama on the evening of Ram Navami. Following this, students allegedly affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) reached the spot and raised slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’. The protesting students then countered the slogans yelling ‘Jai Bheem’. Reports mention that the clashes between the two groups erupted later.
The protesting students and the students allegedly affiliated with the ABVP clashed on March 31. The administration took cognizance of the event and filed a police complaint against both groups. The University has also issued a show cause notice against Vivek Mishra, Antas Sarvanand, Niraj Oberoi, Rajesh Kumar Yadav, Chandan Saroj, Adarsh Pathak, and Jatin Chaudhary who were supporting Ambedkar in his protest against the University. The show cause notice has also been issued to some students who are believed to be affiliated with the ABVP.
The protesting students, supported by the left-wing community, reportedly used the word ‘Mujara’ for the Ram Navami Shobha yatra on the evening of Ram Navami, triggering clashes with Hindus who took offence over derogatory epithets used against their festival. “Sarvanand was shooting the video and was continuously using the word ‘mujara’ for the Shobha yatra. Shobhayatra is a pious occasion for us. So we decided to teach them a lesson,” one of the students was quoted as saying by the Times of India. The video of the incident was recorded and had gone viral over the internet.
A Dalit student who was peacefully protesting for his PhD was mercilessly thrashed by pro-Hindu mobs. pic.twitter.com/HUHoBhM4gY
— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) April 3, 2023
Ambedkar, meanwhile, wiped off the ‘allegations’ and said that no ‘mujara’ word was used by any of the protesters on the evening of Ram Navami. “Even if it was used by anyone, it may have been in some other context as mujara also means salami in Maharashtra,” he added. Two protesting students were also injured in the clashes after which they were shifted to the local hospital for treatment.
Ambedkar was recently interviewed by Dr Abhay Kumar, PhD professional associated with the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, in which he claimed that he was being deprived of his rights because he is a Dalit. “The university has not submitted the thesis for external evaluation. The thesis has been submitted 11 months ago. Instead, I have been asked to re-work the thesis under a new supervisor,” Ambedkar said. He argued that such conditionality is arbitrary and against the rule and he is being victimized for being a Dalit as well as for being vocal on issues related to social justice.
The Vice Chancellor of the University meanwhile stated that no communal slogans were raised at the campus and also the primary protester, Rajneesh Ambedkar, was not beaten. He also said that around 15-17 security guards received severe injuries and had reached the spot to pacify and control the situation. The Ram Nagar police have booked student members from both groups and are investigating the matter.
