Emotionally Speaking

Just as astrologists and palmists can predict your life and future by looking at your horoscope, you can tell a lot about the political and social milieu of a place or organisation or a university by looking at the posters, notices, pamphelts and papers obtaining in that place.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is famous for its handmade wall posters unlike any other university! The admission season for the monsoon semester is still on while this is being published. This is the time [apart from the Students Union elections which have been in limbo because the Lyngdoh committee implementation matter is in Supreme Court] during which maximum number of posters of  are published on the JNU walls [especially the administrative building, the library, the school canteens and the various schools].

These are some 13 random jumbo size posters from the School of International Studies, Library, library canteen and the administrative block of JNU. Liberalisation, Globalisation, Democracy, Secularism, Communalism, SEZs, Communism, Patriotism, Terrorism – all issues relevant to Indian democracy and international peace find a space on the walls [JNU pamphlets and posters are a kind of barometer of public opinion]. The posters, pamphlets and political slogans add a lot of colour to the campus and give tremendous glimpse on the kind of student politics in the campus.

All pics dated 7 August 2009. I shot them at about 3:30 pm while on my way to my school and centre.

The following by AISA [All India Students Association, the leftist organisation @CPI (ML)] on the JNU Library walls on the oppressive Special Economic Zones.

This one by Akhil BhartiyaVidyarthi Parishad [ABVP], the right wing organisation @ BJP

This one by NSUI [National students' Union of India] the student wing of Congress. It lampoons the West Bengal CM!

Socialism is the future, says SFI [Students' Federation of India affiliated to the CPI]!

Democratic Students’ Union [DSU], the ultra-leftists!

AISA again against caste oppression

NSUI Poster again… aam aamdi  and other issues

NSUI wall poster on the BJP circus after the general election results!

AISA poster against the Lyngdoh committee report implementation in JNU Campus

NSUI on Prakash Karat

And a general view of the administrative building here [all painted to attract new students for political socialisation and political recruitment].

Some sundry ones including a dog (dogs are hotly debated in JNU; many women in JNU mollycoddle dogs; I also have a soft corner for animals by the way)!