It’s been two years since he was arrested by the Delhi police on the charge of sedition. Kanhaiya Kumar, former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students’ union, is yet to be cleared of the charge. In Kozhikode to attend the Kerala Literature Festival, he spoke to A.S. Jayanth on the status of the case and the state of youth politics in India.
What is the status of the sedition case against you?
A charge sheet is yet to be filed and I am on permanent bail. The case is still with the Tis Hazari court in New Delhi. It was conceived to feed to a particular political narrative.
What has changed in your life since that much-talked about speech on the JNU campus after you were let off on bail almost two years ago?
There is some disconnect in the way I used to get involved with people in the course of my political life.
Because of security reasons, my movement has been restricted. On a positive side, many people have started listening to me.
Some people have started looking up to you as a poster boy of the Leftist students’ movement, something you once said you don’t agree with?
I don’t know if I can live up to the expectations about a forthcoming change. Change cannot happen because of individual charisma, it is possible only through collective effort. There should be a process and I believe my arrest and jail term are part of it.
There had been a resurgence of radical youth politics, especially after the suicide of Rohit Vemula, the JNU episode and the Una incident. Is the election victory of Jignesh Mewani a culmination of that phase?
I don’t think Jignesh’s victory is an actual culmination. In that case, at least a hundred Mewanis would have got elected to the Assembly. The first challenge before us is to break the established structure of politics to help youngsters enter the field. How do we create dissent in the social, political, or economic establishment and political formations on the Left, Right and Centre. It can be against nepotism, casteism, and the corporate loot. Dissent can come only from students and the youth. It is an ongoing process which is yet to culminate according to our expectations.
You foresee a coordination of youth groups?
We already had a meeting of students from universities and the youth who are outside them, in New Delhi. In the time of mandir and masjid , Ram and Nathuram, we are asking for kaam (jobs). We are asking for dignity. We are asking about roti , kapda and makaan (food, clothing and shelter). But, there is a difference. Traditionally, Left youth movements were restricted to the class understanding. We are trying to associate with the perspective of caste, ecology, and gender too.
What is coming in the way of a Left-Ambedkarite unity?
There is no block per se . But there is a stagnation and status quo . There needs to be a liberal approach to caste and class positions. We need to analyse new problems in the society and move away from sectarianism. We need to look for class in caste and caste in class. For example, you will see two types of Dalits and two types of Brahmins. The social response to them can be different. Take the case of a Brahmin doctor and a Dalit doctor. If you try to find an answer to the self-respect question, there can be a point of convergence.
