Meet Aishe, the JNUSU president who led from the front

Every iron rod used against the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University will be given back by debate and discussion, said JNU Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh on Monday (January 6).

Ghosh’s statement is representative of the politics and political culture of JNU, where there is no space for violence. The MPhil/PhD from the School of International Relations was the first Students’ Federation of India (SFI) to become Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU) president after a gap of 13 years. Coming from Durgapur, Ghosh became the president in September 2019.

Addressing a press conference, she said JNU’s culture (of debates and discussion) will not be eroded anytime soon. JNU will uphold its democratic culture, she said.

Also read: Every iron rod used on us will be given back with debates: Aishe Ghosh

She further alleged Sunday’s violence on the varsity campus was an organised attack. “They were singling out people and attacking. There is a clear nexus of JNU security and vandals. They did not intervene to stop violence,” she said.

When a video of Gosh covered in blood after being attacked by masked men who entered the campus on Sunday emerged, the first to throw their weight behind them was her father and mother. “She is with the Left movement. Everybody, everywhere tries to resist Left movement,” said her father. Backing her daughter Gosh’s mother demanded the vice-chancellor’s resignation.

“For last four-five days, some RSS-affiliated professors were promoting violence to break our movement. Are we wrong to ask for safety from the JNU and Delhi Police,” she added.

Also read: Left or Right: Who was behind Sunday mayhem on JNU campus?

The JNUSU president addressed the media after being discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where she underwent treatment after being attacked with an iron rod by masked assailants on Sunday.

“I was surrounded by 30 persons who hit me with iron rods continuously. We were punched. They were about to lynch us,” said Gosh.

She said that attempts to suppress JNU’s democratic culture will not succeed. “JNU’s culture will not be eroded anytime soon. JNU will uphold its democratic culture,” Ghosh said.