The Central Government has turned Paranoid – SDPI

The latest move by the Union Government to curb the international Webinars by the educational institutions exposes how scared is the fascist government about free views and expressions, stated MK Faizy, National President of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). It has turned paranoid, he said. A recent office memorandum titled ‘Revised Guidelines for holding online/virtual Conferences, Seminars, Training, etc.’ from an undersecretary in the Ministry of Education is described as a “mini surgical strike” by the Modi government on the academic freedom in Indian universities, IITs, IIMs and other such educational institutions. As per the new guidelines “all central educational institutions, publicly funded universities and organisations owned and controlled by the Government of India/State Government” shall have to get prior approval from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to conduct online international conferences or seminars on subjects related to “security of State, Border, North East States, UT of J&K, Ladakh or any other issues which are clearly/purely related to India’s internal matter/s.”This is yet another tool to stifle the dissenting voices which the fascist government fear the most. The issues referred to be excluded from the discussions itself is a clear pointer to the intention of the government. They don’t want people to know the Chinese intrusion and them building a village in the sovereign land of India, the skirmishes on the North East States, the human rights violations and the anti-human activities in Jammu and Kashmir, Chinese invasion at Ladakh, etc. Though the paid-Godi-media are suppressed that they would report nothing but what the government feeds; the atrocities and human rights violation in Kashmir and the resolute Farmers agitation in the capital have raised international outrage and the Chinese intrusion has made the fascist government to cut a sorry figure even before the countrymen. So, they think that by curbing people talk about these issues would help them save the face.Another diktat is that they will have to get prior permission from the MEA for events “involving sensitive subjects (political, scientific, technical, commercial, personal) with provisions for sharing of data in any form.” The curb on international Webinars and these stipulations on the topics of discussion are an onslaught on the freedom of the universities, and it is a dictatorial and cowardly act. In the contemporary fascist-ruled India, democracy is being wiped out, and the curb on international Webinars is also part of undermining democracy and the Constitution. Media, judiciary, Election Commission, anti-corruption and investigative agencies, etc. have already been subjugated by fascism, and now it is the turn of the universities to follow suit.Silence of the opposition and other secular-democratic parties runs as a catalyst to the undemocratic measures of the fascist government, said Faizy; and he expressed the hope that these parties would wake from their nap and come forward to save the country from the clutches of the dreadful fascism.