These people were lodging protest against the Vice chancellor for issuing an appeal to help the Kashmiri students studying in the university, known as Vikram University. They not only manhandled Professor Kaul but damaged computer and other costly items in the office. They were hurling choicest abuses at Professor Kaul. The sudden attack by the anti-social elements had such an adverse effect on his health that he had to be rushed to a hospital for immediate medical assistance. He was admitted to the ICU.

Some years back, a Professor of Ujjain University was attacked by the activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. The attack proved fatal and Professor Sabharwal succumbed to it.

This incident clearly sends out a message that Hindu organisations affiliated to the RSS are against extending any help to the flood-affected persons of Kashmir. According to eye witnesses, they were shouting slogans 'No help to traitors and supporters of Pakistan.'

Reporting the September 15 incident, Hindustan Times wrote 'Call it sheer luck or something else, another Professor Sabharwal incident was prevented from taking place due to timely intervention of fellow professors and staff at Vikram University'.

However, the attack revived memories of the brutal attack on Sabharwal, who was a professor at Madhav College in Ujjain (an affiliate college of Vikram University) and was murdered on August 26, 2006.

Six ABVP workers were booked in the case but were later acquitted after all the 94 witnesses in the case turned hostile. Sabharwal was the head of political science department at the institute and was entrusted with supervising the students' council elections.

Unlike in Kaul's case where the varsity staff locked him in a bathroom, Sabharwal could not be saved from the attackers.

In both the cases, the attackers were more than 30 in number. Sabharwal was attacked as he was not prepared to revise his ruling about the students' union elections. His attitude was not liked by the ABVP activists who entered into an argument with him and hit him with lathis and rods. He was later rushed to the hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The accused belonging to the ABVP could get acquittal because of the pressure mounted on the prosecution by the BJP government. Though professor Sabharwal was attacked in the presence of a big crowd consisting of teachers and students, but none came forward to depose in the court. Only a peon showed the courage of telling the truth but ultimately he too turned hostile. In the case of professor Sabharwal, teachers remained mute spectators and could not muster courage to stand by the family of deceased Professor Sabharwal. But this time, teachers and staff of the University observed strike and asked the police to arrest the culprits.

It appears that the organisations affiliated to the RSS are fomenting trouble almost every day in some or other part of Madhya Pradesh. During the last few days communal incidents have taken place in Raisen, a town only 40 kms from Bhopal. In the month of August, Khandwa a district headquarters town was under curfew almost for seven days. During this period two young men, one Muslim and another Hindu were killed despite the fact that both had nothing to do with the series of incidents which were taking place in the town. Some time back a report came that some dalits embraced Islam in Shivpuri district. The dalits said that they were forced to embrace Islam because of the discriminatory behaviour with them in the Hindu society. On learning about the conversion, members of the Hindu outfits became active and forced the dalits to return to Hindu fold.

In between, these organisations are digging the so called love jihad incidents. In one case the woman claimed that she voluntarily married a Muslim but despite that she was compelled to say that she was forced to accept a Muslim as her husband.

The ABVP activists also resort to violence while raising problems faced by students. They will enter the office of the college and manhandle principals and teachers. The most depressing aspect is the silence of the top leaders of the Sangh Parivar. In the case of the September 15 Ujjain episode, not a single top leader of the RSS chose to pull up the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad workers. Though the RSS claims that it holds 'gurus' (teachers) in high esteem, it does not take any action against its erring followers, whenever they humiliate teachers.

Meanwhile, in their bid to fan communal tension, at least two BJP MLAs have asked the organisers of garba dance to ensure that Muslims are not allowed to enter the venue. They have asked Hindus to carry their voter identity cards while entering the garba dance venue. It may be mentioned here that mass garba dances are organised during Navaratri festival. (IPA Service)