Shameful.....

Unchallenged, the goonda elements in the communal forces are being emboldened in Punjab. The case of Prof Sunil Aggarwal in Ludhiana is a case in point. Shameful silence greeted the humiliation of the teacher at the Kamla Lohtia SD College by goondas of ABVP and Shiv Sena. No social, political or cultural body or individuals came out even with a perfunctory statement. Most conspicuous was the silence of the leftist organizations, which love to be called "progressive forces" and had been putting up a fight against the communal forces in the past. The voracious media, looking for stories in every incident, showed its complicity by almost blacking out the whole episode or presenting the perpetrators point of view.
Prof Sunil Agarwal teaches political science at the college. Aggarwal was manhandled by the workers of Shiv Sena and Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad allegedly for "speaking against Hindu gods and goddesses". He was immediately booked without trying to ascertain the true facts and sent to 14-day judicial custody. Police role in the whole episode was not above board. The teacher was arrested and taken in handcuffs to the police station while no action has been taken against the hooligans who attacked him and continue to threaten the teachers.
The college management too suspended him immediately, only to retract later, apparently after the prof agreed to apologise. The management did not take any action against the students who started the protest joined in almost immediatelty by outsiders. One of the students Varun Mallik even went on to openly threaten to shoot Aggarwal after he rejoined.
In an inglorious climax, the prof. was forced to go to the temple and offer apologies only to appease the Sangh Parivar inspired hindutava brigade.

-Jatinder Preet