‘PhD wallah', voices for minorities & a Right-wing surprise: Meet JNU's new student union leaders
AISA's Nitish Kumar, popularly known as 'PhD wallah' among students, won the post of JNUSU president with 1,702 votes. The 26-year-old is a third-year PhD scholar at the Centre for Political Studies. He belongs to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community and hails from a farming family in Sheikhpura, Bihar. Speaking to ThePrint, Kumar said his early experiences and lack of opportunities shaped his political journey. 'Since there was no education and infrastructure in my village, I have been living outside since the age of 7,' he said.
New Delhi: The closely contested Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union Election (JNUSU) saw the Left alliance—All India Students Association (AISA) and Democratic Students' Federation (DSF)—retain the top three posts. It also marked a comeback for the Right with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) securing the joint secretary post.
At JNU, he began his political career by joining AISA in 2021. Among the key issues he has put forward is the university's deteriorating infrastructure. 'The first thing I want to fix is all the ACs in the library to give respite to students in this heat. Wherever there is an infrastructure problem, in hostels, classrooms, we will make it our priority in the first month,' Kumar told ThePrint.
He also vowed to intensify the push for the restoration of the JNU Entrance Examination (JNUEE), a longstanding demand of many student groups.
Reacting to the ABVP's victory, Kumar said, 'I want to appeal to them not to repeat the mistake they made in 2015-16, when they propelled a campaign of 'Shut Down JNU'. If they try anything like that again, the students who have elected them will throw them out instantly.'
Asked about the split in the Left forces ahead of the election, Kumar said, 'For about 10 years, from 2016 onward, we fought against the fascists from ABVP as a United Left front, making an anti-fascist alliance.'
'However, ahead of these elections, the SFI did not understand the meaning of fascism. According to them, fascism has not arrived in the Modi-Shah BJP. We in AISA firmly believe that fascism has already arrived,' he added.
A split in the United Left alliance this year led to the AISA and DSF fighting elections together, while the All India Students' Federation (AISF), Students' Federation of India (SFI), Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA) and Progressive Students' Association (PSA) allied together.
Manisha—Vice-President, JNUSU
DSF's Manisha, who goes only by one name, was elected Vice-President with 1,150 votes. A third-year PhD scholar in Chinese Studies, Manisha hails from Bhawar village in Haryana's Sonipat district.
Coming from a Dalit background, she has been a staunch advocate for student rights and social justice. 'I have no hesitation in saying that I am a Dalit,' she told ThePrint.
On assuming office, Manisha said, 'The first thing I will work on is the rollback of library and lab fund cuts and addressing infrastructure issues.'
She also took a strong stance against what she called the 'tahansahi farman' (dictatorial order) of the JNU administration imposing hefty fines of Rs 10,000 or Rs 20,000 on protesting students. 'We will reject these anti-student measures,' she said.
Munteha Fatima—General Secretary, JNUSU
Munteha Fatima, 28, also from DSF, secured the general secretary post with 1,520 votes, marking another significant win for the Left.
'As a woman, and once in office, my priority will be to make sure that the campus feels safe, day and night. I will work to strengthen the deprivation points for female research scholars and strive to make JNU a sexual harassment-free space,' Fatima, a PhD scholar in West Asian Studies, said.
Her commitment to minority rights is also central to her agenda. 'I come from a Muslim Community, and therefore it is my duty to ensure that minorities on campus feel safe, respected and free from discrimination,' she added. Fatima hails from Patna, Bihar.
Vaibhav Meen—Joint Secretary, JNUSU
In a surprising twist, ABVP's Vaibhav Meena was elected JNUSU joint secretary, securing 1,005 votes, defeating AISA's Naresh Kumar by a narrow margin of 85 votes.
Hailing from Karauli, Rajasthan, Meena is a research scholar in Hindi literature.
Speaking to ThePrint, Meena said, 'My focus will be to resolve campus issues, especially hostel problems and fellowship delays. Along with these, we will also work to promote nationalism on the campus.'
While ABVP did not win the top posts, their presence in the central panel is seen as a formidable challenge to the Left, particularly the Right-wing party has won its first post on the central panel since 2015.
Kartikay Chaturvedi is an intern who graduated from ThePrint School of Journalism.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Also Read: How Left student leaders from JNU & Allahabad University have emerged as key members of Team Priyanka
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