This is the first part of a series of real-life tales from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), often known as the citadel of Indian Marxism, narrated by a former student of JNU.
There is a man from JNU who is referred to as Mr Pandey on this certificates, but calls himself “not a Arya”. His JNU life consisted of discussions with newcomers over milk tea, using a concrete rock as a chair, on such topics as Chinese communism, American capitalism and human rights in India. He used to run a separatist Left organization which was more radical than Naxals and armed struggle was the only solution which was glamorous enough for him. Meanwhile he had a girlfriend who also played role of comrade activist for his party. When he would get drunk, he would fight with his girlfriend. Sometimes ABVP students would pick him up when he was too drunk and drop him back to his hostel room. Once he thrashed his girlfriend so severely that all his fellow comrades decided to complain against him at the sexual harassment cell of JNU. As it often happens among couples, he managed to convince his girlfriend against registering a case of domestic violence against him, promising to reform himself. Such things kept happening often and comrades decided not to interfere in the issues of the couple.
He passed out of JNU after submitting his PhD thesis. He still carries his name which was given by his parents when Brahmins used to chant Vedic mantras and the name tells us that he is a Brahmin. He keeps a pseudo name which hints of war and as already mentioned his last name was “not a Arya”. He calls himself “International Human Rights Activist”. He puts up a profile picture from a five star hotel, though he is supposed to be fighting for tribal people of India. He married a JNU professor’s daughter who is also a comrade, and the marriage was solemnized with vedic marriage rituals. He is still an “International Human Rights Activist” fighting for rights of the downtrodden while wallowing in hypocrisy.
Navneet is self-employed in Africa. His interests include writing stories rooted in life.