I am still bed ridden due to sinusitis attack, getting somewhat better now with continued medicines etc. However attack on Ambedkar PERIYAR Study Circle IIT Madras activated me albeit inside home only. Posted news in their support,shared March lecture post on their forum and Zee TV wanted me to join live debate at their Chandigarh studio, which I declined, so they sent team at home to join debate at 5 pm.
Since I was put initial question, in response I appreciated student group and strongly condemned Smriti Irani. Later Congress spokesperson and JD(U) Ali Anwar supported me. BJP spokesman has no defence, I was not able to watch on screen, could only listen. Perhaps I became a little agitated also and questioned whether Smriti Irani knows even the full name of PERIYAR, does she know anything about how much PERIYAR appreciated Bhagat Singh and got 'Why I am an Atheist' translated in Tamil in 1934 and published himself. I also said if she speaks against PERIYAR in Tamilnadu, even Jay Lalita would not be able to defend her.
I don't know why Zee TV dropped the programme midway at that time,but other major channels- both English& Hindi took up it in Prime time and today's debate on all channels blasted Smriti Irani&Modi govt. Probably News X debate today was better than other channels simultaneous time debate. And they all rightly upheld student group. I spoke on Zee with my infected throat and on the end of the day felt satisfied to have stood up for a right cause.
In reward I have got lot of crude abuses, even threats from Moditvaites at my Twitter page. I feel proud that I delivered lecture on Understanding Bhagat Singh at their invitation and they posted Bhagat Singh picture along wit Ambedkar&Periyar on their logo head after that, adopting Bhagat Singh' ideas also as part of their tradition!
(29 May 2015)
Professor Chaman Lal

Professor Chaman Lal, writer is well-known scholar. He is Retired Professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.

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