Missing Najeeb and our Silence

#WhereIsNajeeb?, the only question every justice loving human being is asking nowadays?

Yesterday, while I had gone to Delhi along with other students of AMU to extend our solidarity with the mother of Najeeb, who is waiting for her son to return alive since last 11 days. Honestly speaking, we had nothing to offer to her except the words: “We too are your Sons and You are not alone in this fight.” And what else could we do or could have done? I guess nothing.Nothing, else than consoling her, telling her that we too share her grief and will continue with our efforts to seek justice for Najeeb and  Najeeb is also our brother. Remember, she is a mother and every conscious soul could understand the pain of that mother who spoke to her son an hour before but on reaching his room , couldn’t find him. The pain she is undergoing can never be summed up in words. I was there to satisfy my own conscience, but the pain I have felt while seeing her is what made me to write this.

When we met her, she was all broken, with tears rolling down her cheeks continuously and in murmuring voice chanting the name of her Missing Son, Najeeb. Her only question is, Where Is Najeeb? And she continues to plead everyone meeting her, in her weak and fallen voice, Bring Him Back and I will take him with me. Since the 11^th day has passed and there is no progress in this case despite the widespread protests in JNU, AMU , JMI and other universities. Therefore question is (and must be), are such protests going to bear any results?

According to my own belief, Protests alone can’t do anything and protest is not only to “march on roads”, but protest can be registered in any form viz- march, human chain, Poster making, poetry, writings, sloganeering, voice messages etc. And today when we are living in the times of social media,  Facebook and twitter is the best options if you don’t want to leave the comfort of the rooms or waste much energy in writing long articles. And also I believe, protest March or Sit-ins are only successful when all forms of protest are made simultaneously by people in their own capacities. We can neither expect everyone to come on roads and walk three or four kilometers on foot or lay on ground for days nor can we expect everyone to write long pieces, but, we can at least expect it from everyone to remain protesting for any genuine cause, until the justice is not delivered, in any form which he/she deems suitable and possible.

Coming back to Najeeb and the stories cooking about his sudden disappearance. While interacting to the students and scholars who had come from JNU in protest march at Jantar Mantar, it was clear that the protesting Student are actually divided into two groups. One which believes, Najeeb is alive and has been deliberately abducted by some forces to do politics on this issue and the second, which believes that Najeeb is no more alive. While no one  among the people whom I spoke, directly named any  ideological students organization for the deliberate abduction, but their target was evident when , they were presenting their version of  details of events. And those who believed in the second version were seeming concerned and were ‘wishing him to be alive’, and were actually there to pressurize the administration and government to book the culprits belonging to a particular organization. Read also: http://m.firstpost.com/india/najeeb-row-jnusu-should-have-taken-an-impartial-stand-and-not-side-with-assaulters-3066358.html

While listening to all these details, I was quiet, confused and wondering as how could anyone play such a cheap politics with a Mother. But as perceived generally, everything is fair is politics and in a country where Akhlaq’s lynching has happened because of his identity, anything can happen.

But the concern is how long it will take us to rise from the slumbers? Everyone knows the reason of attack on Najeeb. Najeeb became a soft target because he  belonged to a particular community having a different identity which actually is considered a threat.But, Where are the leaders of that community who rose to such a stardom only, because of their identity? Where are those people who perceive ‘the community’ as its vote bank? The reality is that Najeeb has no political affiliation and his parents are not used to any political thing. They are broken and are worried only for Najeeb’s safety, seeking help from any one believing in ‘justice’ while most people are either silent or are busy in their politics over the issue.

JNUSU is leading the fight for Najeeb and rightly so, but where is AMUSU?

AMU has not only a long tradition of standing with the oppressed but its foundation is based on the principle of justice and empowerment. Najeeb is an AMU alumnus, a minority member and a student. keeping these three things in mind, it becomes paramount on all the justice loving students of Aligarh Muslim University students to rise above their difference and contribute in whatever form to seek justice for Najeeb. AMU students are the representatives of their community and today when the eyes of our own community are on AMU, we shouldn't let them down. Our silence is our weakness and let's try to overcome it.Imagine, It was not Najeeb,  It was anyone among our own family. Would we have been silent? I guess no. AMUSU had already sent a delegation to JNU to extend solidarity with the JNUSU and with the mother of Najeeb, a separate protest march was organized also in AMU by various students under AMUSU banner, around 50 students and alumni of AMU participated in the protest march at Jantar Mantar on 24^th of this month, but is that enough?

I leave it to you and hope that you are remembering Najeeb and you too are concerned. Lastly, If we can’t do anything for him, we can at least remember him in our prayers and pray for his safety and immediate return.