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ABVP leader on Kanhaiya’s visit to Hyderabad University

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Mona Ramavat
Mona RamavatMar 25, 2016 | 15:26

ABVP leader on Kanhaiya’s visit to Hyderabad University

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leader and PhD (linguistics) student, Susheel Kumar, shares his views about JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar's visit to the University of Hyderabad on Wednesday (March 23), and how the last few months have impacted him as a student, in the midst of all the accusations, and the politics at the campus following Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide in January. Excerpts:

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Q. What would you like to say about the vice-chancellor, Appa Rao, returning to office at the University of Hyderabad?

A. He is the vice-chancellor of the university and has every right to return to his office and take charge at any time. I don't have anything to say in favour of, or against this.

Q. Is it true that you met the V-C before he came back to office?

A. Absolutely not. I, in fact, learnt about the V-C's return to office through the media. I was sleeping till 10 in the morning and came to know only after I woke up.

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Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide was blamed on the saffron forces.

Q. There are reports floating that you, along with other members of the ABVP, were with the V-C just before his office was vandalised on Tuesday (March 22). Is it true?

A. This is not true either. There are many who are accusing us of vandalising the V-C's office. But there are videos uploaded on Facebook clearly showing that we were not involved. If someone approaches me with proof that I was involved in this, I would rather quit my PhD right away and give up my affiliation with my organisation too and instead, do whatever these people would like me to do.

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Q. What are your views on Kanhaiya Kumar visiting the University of Hyderabad?

A. I am not in a position to comment on Kanhaiya Kumar's visit. He is free to travel where he likes and have a debate or discussion about anything. We haven't opposed him from coming to the campus. However, I do wonder about the appropriateness of the timing of his visit.

Since the atmosphere was already quite charged, nobody knows what impact his visit inside the campus could have had. What if someone would have gotten provoked into doing something untoward? The ABVP is blamed for everything that goes wrong, without any proof whatsoever. We were just a bit wary about that.

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Susheel Kumar says ABVP hasn't opposed Kanhaiya (in pic) from coming to the HCU campus. 

Q. Have you been in touch with BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya?

A. I met him only once, in August last year, and that too only to update him about the goings on at the campus. This was following the attack on me and mainly because nobody was ready to listen and not with any intention of having anyone punished. But I haven't met him since.

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Q. As a student, how has your research work been impacted over the last few months?

A. It has been severely impacted. I haven't had the mental space to focus on my work at all. There have been many times when I have wanted to give up and look for a job instead. My personal life has been impacted too and I'm constantly worried for my family.

Q. Have you been meeting your research guide in the meanwhile?

A. I have been meeting my research guide in these last few months, but there has been so much playing on my mind that I have just not been able to move forward with my thesis. When there are so many accusations flung at me, how can I possibly concentrate on my studies and research work? I'm waiting for justice to be delivered soon.

Last updated: March 25, 2016 | 19:17
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