Punjab Against Centerlisation: A Defeat of Modi Govt’s Intentions
PU protests not only showed Punjab’s resentment towards the Modi government’s policies of centerlisation but also marks a defeat of the arguments of the Modi regime.
The Union government wanted to bring a 31-member Senate, where most members were nominated but PU students insisted on the election and not selection of Senators. Whenever authorities and journalists raised the issue of the Senate’s inefficency, students drew parallels to the Parliament — how the Modi government wants to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats citing an increase in population but when it comes to the university, it is decreasing number of elected senators.
When the authorities asserted that outside members would be more efficient, students retorted saying can an outsider be in charge of India if he says he is more efficient than Modi? When Indian right-wing propaganda outlets commented that the Center funds Panjab University, PU students highlighted how the Union government centerlised tax collection via GST and is taking tax revenue from Chandigarh, which is Punjab’s capital city.
As Chandigarh was built by displacing the people of 28 villages of Punjab, PU protests and the slogans raised in the university emotionally pulled them towards the protest. PU protest gave those people a channel to express their anger against their historical grievances and injustice.
Just like Farmers’ Protest 2.0 at the Shambhu border, the PU Bachao Morcha was fed by langar brought by people of Puadh region, who coordinated among one another to feed students protestors daily. Apart from the langar, a large number of people used to come everyday to participate in the protest.
