The police have registered an F.I.R. against eleven unidentified persons and one identified person, by the name of Amir Hamza, in the case of the Punjab University Law College student who was severely beaten and left badly injured. The motive behind this gruesome attack seems to be that the injured student had tweeted in favor of the recently gone missing activists. This is an epitome of intolerance, violence and hooliganism which has undoubtedly left an indelible trauma on the injured student and the society at large.
The sad part about this occurrence is that incidents like this keep popping up at the campuses of the Punjab University. The Islami Jamiat Tulaba has been a constant feature amongst wild outbursts of violence such as this occurrence. Although the IJT has maintained that it does not partake in acts of violence on the campus, however, other students groups have continuously expressed their objections at the behavior of the IJT activists within the campus. Amidst the vociferous protests of other students as well as teachers present at the campus, it is high time that the IJT takes time out to do a little soul-searching.
University campuses around the world, principally, should encompass all the attributes of a model society. Tolerance to opposing view-points, flow of ideas, discussion on contentious issues to create consensus and move forward are some of the hallmarks of a vibrant campus life. This inculcates in the students empathy and the skill to slip into another’s shoes; to look at the world from another person’s perspective. Students trained in such environments become crucial pieces to the inclusive jigsaw of the society.
In this context, this incident is reflective of how rudimentary a level of intellectual evolution these hooligans are at. The provisional Vice Chancellor of the Punjab University Prof Dr Zafar Mueen Nasir has also reportedly reached at a compromise with the IJT members after a meeting where the IJT activists assured the provisional VC that they would invest their time and activities to the cause of student welfare within the campus of the Punjab University. Both teachers and student are not very optimistic about this deal given the fact that deals such as this have already been reached at with the IJT activists before.
Reportedly, a common eventuality to these deals is that as soon as changes are brought within the administration of the Punjab University, the IJT activists resort to using the violent acts again. Countless crackdowns on such activities have barely served the purpose as the ugly head of hooliganism rears itself some time after the crackdowns each time. Such is the stance taken by other student groups and organizations, such as the Insaf Student Federation, in the Punjab University.
The Punjab University had been a bastion of scholarship and one of the premier seats of knowledge in the Indian Subcontinent since its inception in 1882, when the British Raj decided to establish it. It has produced Nobel Laureates and its alumni roster is a thing of academic magnificence to behold. However, the last few decades have seen the rise of myopic political ideologies and mob-driven activism, which has seen the Punjab University become a joke. Despite the presence of a distinguished faculty, the Punjab University has come tumbling down due to the advent of violence on the campuses. Besides, the recent scandals of reported terrorists residing within its campuses has left the University’s reputation reeling. Despite the legal ban on student politics, the IJT has continued to flourish. This ban has had a negative effect on the peaceful student organizations who have endeavored to create a platform of dialogue where students can speak their minds and express freely their perspectives.
The impunity with which these hooligans operate , especially after so much has been said and done before about this issue, is baffling. With regards to this issue, a precedent begs to be set here. The police should investigate and collect evidence meticulously so that the prosecutorial department has ample evidence to put the culprits behind bars. Similarly, the trial court needs to hear this case on daily basis for the swift conviction of the culprits. Similarly, the District Administration of Lahore needs to sit down to create a holistic policy to leave behind this culture of violence on the campus forever.