आईआईटी मद्रास के एक छात्र ने मेजर जनरल जीडी बख्शी पर “नफरत को बढ़ावा देने वाला” और “छात्रों को हिंसा के लिए उकसाने वाला” लेक्चर देने का आरोप लगाया है। एमटेक के छात्र अभिनव सूर्या ने संस्थान के निदेशक को पत्र लिखकर ये आरोप लगाए हैं। बख्शी ने गुरुवार (11 अगस्त) को एक्सट्रा म्यूरल लेक्चर (ईएमएल) शृंखला के तहत स्वतंत्रता दिवस के मौके पर ये लेक्चर दिया था. उनके लेक्चर का विषय था- भारतीय सेना का उत्थान और राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा। अभिनव के अनुसार बख्शी ने लेक्चर में कहा कि देश की एकता को बढ़ावा देने का सबसे अच्छा तरीका है पाकिस्तान से युद्ध।
अभिनव के लिखे पत्र के अनुसार मेजर जनरल बख्शी ने अपने लेक्चर में कहा, “हमारी पीढ़ी ने पाकिस्तान को दो हिस्सों में बांट दिया। आपकी पीढ़ी को इसे चार हिस्सों में बांट देना चाहिए। तभी हम शांति से रह सकते हैं।” अभिनव के पत्र के जवाब में संस्थान के निदेशक भाष्कर रामामूर्ति ने कहा कि लेक्चर को आयोजित करने वाली टीम उनकी शिकायत पर विचार करेगी और देखेगी क्या लेक्चर में हिंसा के लिए उकसाने के संदर्भ में कानूनी सीमा का उल्लंघन किया गया। निदेशक ने ये भी स्पष्ट किया ये लेक्चर संस्थान की तरफ से कराया गया आधिकारिक लेक्चर नहीं था।
अभिनव ने पत्र में आरोप लगाया कि ये लेक्चर अतार्किक अंध-राष्ट्रवाद को बढ़ावा देने के लिए तैयार किया गया था। अभिनव ने आरोप लगाया कि मेजर जनरल बख्शी ने परमाणु हथियारों के इस्तेमाल को भी जायज ठहराया। अभिनव के अनुसार मेजर जनरल बख्शी ने ऐतिहासिक तथ्यों को गलत तरीके से पेश किया, मिथकों का तथ्यों मानकर उनके हवाले से अवैज्ञानिक दावे किए, शहरों को जलाने का महिमामंडन किया। अभिनव के अनुसार मेजर जनरल बख्शी के भाषण से उनका एक खास राजनीतिक दल से जुड़ाव साफ झलक रहा था।
अभिनव के पत्र के जवाब में आईआईटी मद्रास के निदेशक राममूर्ति ने कहा, “प्रिय अभिनव, तुम्हें शायद पता होगा कि ईएमएल टीम छात्रों की मर्जी के अनुसार ही वक्ताओं को बुलाती है। वो विभिन्न क्षेत्रों के विभिन्न विचारों वाले वक्ताओं को बुलाते हैं।” निदेशक ने अपने जवाबी पत्र में आश्वस्त किया कि किसी वक्ता को कानूनी सीमा के उल्लंघन की इजाजत नहीं है। निदेशक ने अभिनव को सलाह दी, “…तुम भी यहां एक छात्र हो, इसलिए कृपया उनसे (ईएमएल टीम) से बात करो और उन्हें इस मामले पर अपनी बात समझाओ।”
दोनों पत्र नीचे पढ़ेंः
अभिनव का पत्र आईआईटी मद्रास के निदेशक के नाम-
Dear Sir,
I am writing this letter to you with a bleeding heart, worried about the recent EML lecture by Mr. GD Bakshi on 11th Aug, 2016. I am still not able to digest the fact the institute has given a platform to such a speech filled with hatred, instigating violence among the students. A lecture that was heavily loaded with brewing enmity, inhumanity and glorification of brutality.
I hope that EML team would present to you the video recording of the lecture. I request you to kindly watch it so that it’ll be clear that this is not an empty accusation. The speaker was constantly making direct and indirect comments that were instilling a sense utter disrespect for human life and a deep rooted sense of hatred and enmity towards the people of our neighboring countries. Right from when he glorified the ‘skull-smashing elephants’ of ancient India to him saying, and I quote, “Fight Pakistan. That will strengthen the unity!”, the lecture was designed to foster irrational jingoism.
The level of hatred in his speech was going out of proportions when he said, and I quote, “In our generation, we split Pakistan into 2. Your generation should split it into 4. Only then we can live in peace!”. And later he went on to glorify nuclear weaponry and justified the usage of it. (At this point, I am ignoring other horrendous comments made about justification of usage of metal pellets against civilians in Kashmir (which has been severely criticized by several human rights organisations including Amnesty International), misrepresentation of facts regarding the history, unscientific claims by quoting mythology as facts, glorification of lighting cities up on fire, expression of clear-cut affiliation to a particular political party, etc., which may be considered as politically debatable topics). The underlying implication behind his constant call to “give tit-for-tat” was for calling out students to take up violent aggressiveness as their strategy (This might even be the reason for the violent behavior of few students in the hall who were intimidating the students who were trying to question the speaker).
The speaker made the utmost insulting comment when he said mocked our freedom movement and made fun of it. According to him, only Indians in Indian army got us freedom and whatever everyone else was doing in the name of ‘Ahimsa’ was nonsense! This is a complete insult to the lakhs and lakhs of masses who fought bravely against the British imperialism. I am unable to imagine the fact that we, IIT Madras, gave the speaker a platform to make such insulting comments about our freedom movement, especially in the name of “Special Independence Day Lecture”. If this does not show shame IITM in a bad light, then I don’t know what else does!
At this point, I may be brushed aside as a person with certain political affiliations who cannot tolerate contesting views. But let me make it clear that I have not been so seriously concerned in the past about several other lectures with contents contesting my views. But this is not a mere speech with contesting views, but a dangerous hate speech! Anyone who loves humanity, anyone who loves people and not symbols, anyone who wants to eliminate hate and spread love would have cried at the level of hate mongering in the lecture!
As much as I want freedom of expression to be upheld, I am seriously concerned, as a student of IIT Madras about the sustenance of peace and harmony among various students of IIT Madras. I hope necessary actions will be taken.
आईआईटी मद्रास के निदेशक का जवाब-
Dear Abhinav,
You may be aware that EML team decides the speakers the students want to invite. They invite people from all walks of life and with widely varying views. They do not check with the Admin on this. If the speaker is a constitutional functionary, they check my availability since there are protocol issues to be complied with. I am copying the EML core on this email. I request them to look into your complaint to see if any legal boundaries were crossed with regard to incitement to violence, etc. No public speaker, EML
or otherwise, can cross these.
Beyond that, it is upto the EML core to decide what is the width of the spectrum of views the students want to hear, contest, debate. You are also a student here, so please interact with them and influence their decisions on the matter. These are not official events of the Institute, and so do not reflect on the Institute in any manner.
With warm regards
Bhaskar
