PANJAB UNIVERSITY MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2017

ALL INDIA POLITICAL PARTIES MEET

BACKGROUND GUIDE

AGENDAS:

1. POLITICAL INFLUENCE IN UNIVERSITIES(FREEZE

DATE 11/04/2017)

2. ANALYSING AFTER EFFECTS OF DEMONITISATION

(FREEZE DATE 31/12/2016)

Interference of Political parties in University Campuses

It is very pertinent for Delegates to be aware of facts of two major incidents which have led to
this debate in our nation. While the debate over Nationalism goes on, one must take note that
these arguments started selling like hot cakes especially after the JNU incident and dragged on
till the violence at Ramjas, DU.

All of this has boiled down to the discussion on Freedom of speech and expression which is
claimed by some to be suppressed by the state via the slapping of sedition cases and Anti
national branding of dissenting voices. Also that the other side of the argument concentrates
more on reasonable restrictions and Fundamental duties, with this it is also claimed that certain
elements who do not have the best interests of our nation in mind are using the cloak of freedom
of expression to spread poison amongst youth.

Benjamin N. Cardozo once said, Freedom of expression is the matrix, the indispensable
condition, of nearly every form of freedom.

JNU Row : A sequence of events

February 9th will be just another day in the calendar. But, in the history of student movements,
this day will be known for the beginning of a remarkable battle between the sedition-professing
state and the students, who advocated absolute freedom of expression. This row erupted after a
public event organized by a few students corroborating the judicial killing of Afzal Guru and
demanding the right to self-determination of Kashmir dominated the public discourse for
months and in the process raised many plausible questions pertaining to nationalism, dissent,
activism, politics, and policies. Yes, were talking about the famous (or infamous) JNU Sedition
Row.

Here is a look at the sequence of events:

A program organized by a few students, including Umar Khalid and Anirban

Bhattacharya ,against the execution of Afzal Guru and for Kashmirs right to self-
determination takes place on the evening of 9th February, 2016. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi
Parishad (ABVP) protests against this event and a scuffle takes place. Meanwhile, a few media
channels (mainly Zee News) that were present at the ground report that anti-India slogans such
as Bharat ki barbara di tak jung rahegi and Bharat tere turkey hongay were raised and
contested videos of the same are widely circulated.

On February 12th, Kanhyaiya Kumar, then JNU Students Union(JNUSU) president is

arrested by Delhi Police for sedition and criminal conspiracy. Many JNU students are booked
for the same; five of them go into hiding. Protests in support of Kanhiya Kumar, Umar Khalid,
and Anirban Bhattacharya erupt.
 On February 15th and 16th, there is mob violence outside Patiala House Court during the
hearing of Kanhiya Kumar. Journalist, JNU teachers, Kanhaiya Kumar himself, and activists
are assaulted by a group of lawyers.

On February 17th, JNU faculty members start open lecture series on Nationalism and 133
eminent professors from prestigious universities, including Noam Chomsky, writes a letter
condemning the arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, and expresses solidarity with the students and
faculty.

On February 18t,h three office-bearers of JNU unit of ABVP resigned by stating disagreement
over the Centres crass handling of the matter.

On February 21st, all the absconding students return to the campus and offer themselves for
surrender.

On February 24th, Delhi Police arrests Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya.

On March 24th Kanhyaiya Kumar returns to JNU amidst much media attention.

On March 19, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya are released on bail and subsequently
address the huge gathering at JNUs administrative block.

On April 26th, varsitys inquiry committee found 21 students guilty of breaking disciplinary
norms, the Students Union and Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association
(JNUTA) rejects the punishments.

On 10th and 12th May, rusticated students move to the Delhi High Court against their
rustication.

On May 13th, High Court stays the disciplinary action against the students.

A slew of confrontations and protests between students, teachers, and administration regarding
multiple issues continued throughout the year.
The narratives that many sections of media weaved reduced many complex issues into simplistic
binaries and the dangerous Bush discourse of youre either with us, or against us was
created.

A complaint was filed by lawyer Sunkari Janardhan Goud against "Congress vice-president
Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Communist Party of India (Marxist)
General Secretary Sitaram Yechury , Congress leaders Anand Sharma and Ajay Maken,
Communist Party of India leader D. Raja, and Janata Dal (United) spokesperson KC
Tyagi."According to Goud, "Gandhi and other leaders visited Jawaharlal Nehru University
despite knowing that Kumar had been charged with sedition and supported protesting JNU
students."

The branding of JNU students and academics as `anti-national' continued in March 2016.

International response

More than 500 academics from around the world, including JNU alumni, released a statement in
support of the protesting students, stating that the JNU stands for a vital imagination of the space
of a University that "embraces critical thinking, democratic dissent, student activism, and the
plurality of political beliefs."

In a separate statement, over 130 well-known scholars, including Noam Chomsky, Orhan
Pamuk, Akeel Bilgrami and Sheldon Pollock called it a "shameful act of the Indian government"
to invoke sedition laws formulated during colonial times to silence criticism. They also criticized
"the culture of authoritarian menace that the present government in India has
generated." Students from University of California, Berkeley, Yale University and University of
London showed their solidarity with the protesting students, by narrating Kanhaiya Kumar's
seditious speech in English, and uploading their videos online.

Unfolding of Events during Ramjas Incident

February 21
Ramjas College called off its seminar "Cultures of Protest" following violent protests by ABVP
and members of college student union. JNU students Umar Khalid, who was accused of raising
anti-India slogans at an event in JNU last year, and Shehla Rashid were invited to speak at the
seminar.

ABVP activists demanded the invite to Khalid and Rashid be withdrawn. Organisers of the
seminar claimed ABVP members had "pelted stones, locked the seminar room and cut the
electricity supply". The ABVP, however, denied the charges.

February 22

A peaceful protest march by students of Ramjas College to Maurice Nagar police station,
demanding action against ABVP members who allegedly disrupted the seminar, turned violent.
Clashes broke out between Left-backed All India Students Association (AISA) and ABVP.
Dozens of students, teachers and some journalists were injured in the clashes.

February 23

A protest outside the Delhi Police headquarters at ITO was organised to condemn the violence
the violence on the campus. The protest led by AISA demanded action against suspected
members of the ABVP who roughed up students and teachers during the February 22 incident.

Students alleged the police was hand in glove with the ABVP members who attacked the
protesters outside the college. Delhi Police suspended three of its personnel for their
"unprofessional" handling of the protest, and transferred the case to the Crime Branch.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju sent out a terse message to students, saying "No anti-
India slogans will be allowed in the name of freedom of speech".

February 24-25
A social media campaign, "I am not scared of ABVP", started by a Lady Shri Ram College
student Gurmehar Kaur went viral. To condemn the violence on campus allegedly perpetrated by
ABVP activists, Gurmehar's Facebook profile picture showed her holding a placard that read: "I
am a student from Delhi University. I am not afraid of ABVP. I am not alone. Every student of
India is with me. #StudentsAgainstABVP".

The Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) asked vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi to
initiate an enquiry against the perpetrators of violence at Ramjas College.

Delhi University professor Prasanta Chakravarty, who was roughed up by suspected ABVP
members during the February 22 protest, hospitalised with abdominal pain.

February 26

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said nobody has the "absolute right" to define nationalism but
anyone who wants to break India and support terrorists is an "anti-national".

February 27

Once again, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju joined the Twitter war. "Who's polluting this young
girl's mind? A strong Arm Force prevents a war. India never attacked anyone but a weak India
was always invaded," the minister tweeted, opening the gates to a barrage of reactions from all
corners on Gurmehar Kaur, an Army martyr's daughter.

BJP MP Pratap Simha compared Gurmehar to Dawood Ibrahim. "At least Dawood did not use
the crutches of his father's name to justify his anti-national stand," the MP said.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi tweeted in support of Gurmehar. "Against the tyranny of
fear we stand with our students. For every voice raised in anger, intolerance and ignorance there
will be a Gurmehar Kaur," he tweeted.

Gurmehar Kaur approached Delhi Commission for Women over the alleged rape threats she had
received.
February 28

Gurmehar Kaur withdrew from the campaign and left Delhi. She tweeted: "I have been through a
lot and this is all my 20 year self could take

An FIR was registered against unknown persons on the complaint of Gurmehar Kaur who
allegedly received rape threats from ABVP members.

NHRC issued notice to Delhi Police Commissioner over allegations of police excesses outside
Ramjas College in DU campus on February 22.

the ABVP said that it condemned violence and that it is committed to ensuring a peaceful
atmosphere in the campus. The ABVP has also promised that it would conduct an internal
inquiry into the matter and based on its report, further action will be taken. In its statement, the
ABVP said, "We demand that the police thoroughly investigate the matter and take appropriate
action against those found guilty from both the factions."

The need for a debate on free speech

It is an inalienable right. The Constitutions role is not to grant it, but to protect citizens from any
attempt by the state to infringe upon it.In the fracas ignited by the events at Ramjas College,
leaders in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) like Jaitley, minister of state for home affairs Kiren
Rijiju and defence minister Manohar Parrikar have indicated that the Central government
perceives freedom of speech as a right granted by the state. This is a monumental
misrepresentation. The right to free speech and expression is inalienable. The Constitutions role,
therefore, is not to grant it, but to protect citizens from any attempt by the state to infringe upon
it. If there is indeed to be a debateand on the evidence of the past few days, one is sorely
neededit must be on why the political establishment and swathes of society mistake this fact.

At both JNU and Ramjasand in the countrys political and civic life in generalfreedom of
speech has been conditional. A narrow definition of nationalismone that makes questioning the
Afzal Guru verdict or debating the Indian states role in Kashmir tantamount to collaborating
with terroristsimposed by the government and used as a yardstick for measuring a citizens
allegiance to the state is immensely dangerous. As dangerousand unfortunately controversial
is the fundamental assumption that all speech that is in fact against the state must be illegal. To
understand that, we need to look at the function that was supposed to be served by elected posts
on campuses as against the function being served currently.By definition, Universities tend to
have a large student population, and are often residential rather than day-colleges. In such an
environment where a large number of youth are thrown together, a measure of autonomy
becomes essential, and thus the formation of committees to manage student affairs,
representatives from the student body itself to take decisions on matters affecting their interests
all these were by definition laudable objectives. Having experienced the flip side an
environment where students had virtually no say in any aspect of campus life, One can readily
state that it is far better to have elected, student-driven management of student affairs than
faculty control and supervision of every aspect of campus life.

Now the moment elections enter the picture, factionalism is inevitable. It is human nature to
create divisions and align with one or the other in ways that lead to conflict. This is true even on
the relatively apolitical campuses of private colleges. But what vitiates the atmosphere beyond
control is the entrance of entrenched political parties, bringing ideology and money into contests
that should be about issues. One political party may be the culprit du jour according to some, but
no party is blameless. The mainstream Left was brutally violent in its imposition of ideological
and political conformity in West Bengal for decades. The earlier ruling parties had also used the
nationalist cudgel to belabour opponents when convenient, and attempted to curb free speech on
numerous occasions.
Analysis of after effects of demonetization

Demonetization is the process of withdrawal of a particular form of currency from circulation.

Demonetization becomes necessary whenever there is a change in the national currency. The old
unit of currency must be retrieved and replaced with a new currency unit 1. It involves either
introducing new notes or coins of the same denomination or completely replacing the old
denominations with the new denomination which is usually carried out as an ambush on the
black market. In India demonetization has occurred thrice. The first was on 12th January 1946
(Saturday), second on 16th January 1978 (Monday) and the third was on 8th November 2016
(Tuesday).

8 November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the biggest-ever demonetisation

exercise India has ever seen by abruptly withdrawing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes from
public use in a bid to clamp down on black money, fake currency menace, terror funding
and corruption.
9 Nov: Banks and ATMs remained closed for the public on the first day of
demonetisation

1
 The BSE Sensex ended the day about 339 points lower The rupee plummeted 19 paise to
66.43 against the US dollar
10 Nov: Long queues to exchange and deposit annulled notes witnessed at banks across
India which opened for public while ATMs continued to remain shut
Bank stocks surged up to 12 percent as analysts speculated that banking sector is
expected to benefit when more money flows into the formal sector.
11 Nov: ATMs open for the first time after demonetisation announcement. But, after
opening, most ATMs went dry in a few hours with people drawing the maximum possible
amount; long queues beginning to see across the country
RBI assures public that enough currency is available with banks for exchange
Govt extends exemptions for using old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes till 14 November
midnight
Toll waiver on national highways extended till 14 November midnight by the govt.

12 Nov: PM Modi hints at more steps to unearth black money.

Week-end rush adds to woes; anger, impatience at banks; ATMs ran dry on cash.

13 Nov: Queues gets longer at banks, ATMs Sunday sees no let up in rush; long queues
continue outside banks, ATM For the second time in a week, RBI assures public that there is
no need to be anxious and enough cash is available with banks. But that assurance isn't
reflecting on the ground
Exchanged limit increased from Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,500
ATM withdrawal limit increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500
To augment cash supplies, newly printed hard-to-fake Rs 500 notes were released in market
The weekly limit of Rs 20,000 for withdrawal from bank counters has been increased to Rs
24,000. The maximum limit of Rs 10,000 per day on such withdrawals has been removed.

14 Nov: Government extended acceptance of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes for public utility
and fuel payment till 24 November Banks were closed on account of Guru Nanak Jayanti;
queues gets longer at ATMs
Cash withdrawal for current account holders increased to Rs 50,000 per week
Note ban has led to 'financial chaos', said bank unions
 Charges on ATM transactions waived till 30 Dec
Cash crunch continued; Parliament House ATMs too ran dry.

15 Nov: No respite from long queues at banks, ATMs

Government asks banks to put indelible ink on the right hand finger of those exchanging
banned 500 and 1,000 rupee notes
SC refused to stay Centre's move to demonetise currency notes.

16 Nov: Chaos continue at banks; most ATMs ran out of cash

SBI collected Rs 1,14,139-crore in deposits in last 7 days.

17 Nov: Government lowers the exchange limit for now-defunct 500 and 1,000 rupee
notes to Rs 2,000 from the existing cap of Rs 4,500
Cash withdrawal of Rs 2.5 lakh from bank account were allowed for wedding ceremonies
Government eases cash withdrawal limit for farmers by allowing them to withdraw up to
Rs 50,000 cash per week from bank.
Don't hoard currency, sufficient notes in supply, RBI tells public
Govt extended toll exemption on National Highways till November 24 midnight.
Select petrol pumps allowed to dispense cash up to Rs 2,000 through debit card swipe.
Some banks cut fixed deposit rates up to 1 percent.

18 Nov: No respite from queues, chaos; ATMs still fight cash shortage.
Demonetisation to lower GDP growth by 0.3-0.5 percent, CARE Ratings says.
Congress party alleges 55 died due to demonetisation, seeks PM's apology
Proceedings in Parliament were washed out for the second consecutive day.

19 Nov: Queues got shorter at banks; long wait at ATMs continued.

20 Nov: With banks closed on Sunday, longer queues at ATMs

21 Nov: Farmers allowed to use old Rs 500 notes for buying seeds
Bank received Rs 5.12 lakh crore of deposits and exchanged Rs 33,006 crore, RBI said in
 a release
Demonetisation effect: GDP to fall by up to 80 bps, said DBS Bank.

22 Nov: 82,500 ATMs out of 2.2 lakh ATMs recalibrated to dispense new notes
Some relief for cash-starved public, queues shortened as about 40 percent of total ATMs
have started dispensing new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes.
RBI doubles Prepaid Payment Instruments limit to Rs 20,000.

23 Nov: Goldman forecasts deceleration in GDP growth to 6.8 percent in FY17

Rs 1.20 lakh crore deposited in SBI.

24 Nov: Government extends toll exemption on NHs till 2 Dec mid-night

Notes ban to significantly disrupt economic activity, Moody's said in a release
Government withdraws exchange facility of old currency notes and extends deadline for
exemptions of using old Rs 500 notes up to 15 December midnight
Queues get shorter at bank branches but continues at ATMs.

25 Nov: RBI says the facility to exchange old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes will continue to
be available at its counters
India growth to slow to 6.5 percent on notes ban, Deutsche Bank said
Demonetisation to slow down personal computers, phone sales in Q4, according to
research firm IDC
Notes ban to have negative impact on growth in short run, Fitch says
Queues at banks thin, but some branches still faces cash pain.

26 Nov: Deposits in Jan Dhan accounts soars sharply by around Rs 27,200 crore to Rs
72,834.72 crore in just 14 days after the announcement of ban on old Rs 500 and Rs
1,000 currency notes

27 Nov: Rs 32,631 cr deposited in post offices since demonetization

28 Nov: Banks get about Rs 8.45 lakh crore worth of scrapped notes, RBI says
After 3 weeks, queues at banks, ATMs shrinks but cash crunch remained.
 29 Nov: Queues outside ATMs eases, but customers throng banks
RBI relaxes withdrawal norms, nudges retailers to deposit cash.

30 Nov: RBI limits withdrawal from Jan Dhan accounts to Rs 10,000 a month
Queues at ATMs, banks grow shorter but wait for cash continues.

1 Dec: Government says that old Rs 500 notes are valid till 2 Dec for fuel, air ticket
purchase instead of 15 December announced earlier.
Demonetisation takes a toll on manufacturing sector growth in November, according to
PMI survey.
BofA cuts FY17 growth forecast to 6.9 percent amid demonetisation
Pay day rush: Banks resort to rationing of cash in order to handle the huge pay day rush
at branches
1.80 lakh ATMs re-calibrated to dispense Rs 500, 2,000 notes
Cash shortage may slow down GDP to 6.5 percent in Oct-Dec quarter, Nomura says.

2 Dec: India Ratings lowers GDP forecast to 6.8 percent post demonetization.

3 Dec: Queues for cash on, toll collection resumes.

6 Dec: Tax dept seizes Rs 130 crore cash, jewellery and Rs 2,000 crore of undisclosed
wealth has been admitted by taxpayers post demonetisation

7 Dec: RBI defends note ban and plays down its impact on economy. Demonetisation
was not done in haste, says RBI Governor during the monetary policy presser
Note ban impact on GDP growth only 15 bps, says RBI
Rs 11.55 lakh crore or 76 percent of junked notes have come back into the system, RBI
said.

Aftermath OF 2016 DEMONETISATION

The banking sector is one of paramount importance when it comes to reviewing the policy of
demonetization. The effects of the sudden reduction in money supply in the economy needs to be
analysed, keeping in mind what repercussions it will result in, in terms of savings, interest rate,
investment growth etc
Soon after the announcement of demonetization, all banks and ATMs across the country
were paralysed because of cash shortages. The cash shortages had many disadvantageous effects
on every small business, agriculture, and also on transportation, with people wanting to exchange
their old banned notes having lengthy waits in long queues, and several deaths were reported to
be linked to the difficulty in exchanging cash.
This resulted in disorder and chaos, and mostly the people holding old currency notes faced
difficulties in having them exchanged because of the endless queues outside banks and ATM
machines across India. They also ran out of cash only after a few hours of being operational, and
about half of the ATMs in the country were not functional. Several deaths were reported standing
in queues for long hours at the banks and ATMs to exchange their old banknotes. Deaths were
also accounted for the lack of medical facilities or preparations due to denial of old currency
notes by the hospitals.

In just four days, the Indian banking system handled almost 180 million transactions. The State
Bank of India reported to have received about Rs. 300 billion (US$4.5 billion) as deposits after
just two days of demonetisation. A sudden hike in the online transactions with the usage of debit
and credit cards was also reported.

Evading techniques like Gold purchases, Donations, Multiple bank transactions, depositing in the
Jan Dhan Scheme bank Accounts, Railway bookings, Municipal and local tax payments,
Backdated accounting were also reported to have happened. According to an information by the
Union Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal, as stated in Rajya Sabha 1,716.5 crore
pieces of Rs 500 denomination notes and 685.8 crore pieces of Rs 1,000 notes were in circulation
as on the November 8th 2016, the date on which demonetisation was pronounced. It actually
sums up in a value which comes close to Rs 15.44 lakh crore.
Further Reading:

http://www.forbesindia.com/blog/economy-policy/demonetisation-the-long-andshort-of-
it/
http://www.careratings.com/upload/NewsFiles/SplAnalysis/Effects%20of
%20Demonetization%20of%20500%20and%201000%20notes.pdf
http://www.mca.co.in/images/Demonetisation_MCA.PDF