The attack on JNU is the beginning of an insurrection against the Indian constitution, said Prof. Prabhat Patnaik as he spoke at ‪#‎StandWithJNU‬ on Wednesday, 17 February 2016.

"JNU is a springboard from which a campaign is going to be launched against all who disagree with the project of this lot which is in power - the project of Hindu Rashtra. And this campaign is going to be launched in the name of "nationalism". That anybody who disagrees with us is "anti-national". And in fact in Delhi itself a situation of this kind, where not only do you have frenzied mobs around JNU, but the Police Commissioner washes his hands off the fact that lawyers enter, beat up people in front of TV cameras.

This is a situation of an insurrection. Basically the attempt is to take over the city; and not allow anybody to protest against it. This "take over the city" in the name of "nationalism" and brand everybody who is opposed to the Sangh Parivar as "anti-national" is a kind of insurrection whose beginning is JNU and Delhi. But on the other hand, it does appear, given the fact that over the next three days, they are going to carry this campaign all over the country that they are going to mobilise people on this issue. And this is nothing but an attempt to spread the insurrection from JNU and Delhi to the rest of the country.

In other words I see the attack on JNU as a beginning of an insurrection against the Indian constitution. Now in one sense, of course, I feel proud of the fact that the institution with which we are all associated is seen so much as the symbol of the constitution, as the symbol of democracy in this country, that the attack begins here.

What has stood in their way is the unity which you find here. What has stood in their way is the fact that the students have not got intimidated. The teachers have not got intimidated. The students and teachers have stood together. And what is more, large numbers of teachers in other parts of the country have stood with JNU... All over the country, teachers are solidarising with JNU. The project of destroying this constitution through the kind of insurrection that begins with an attack on JNU is going to be defeated."

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