A page from my JNU diary

Chapter 9

JNU is once again in the news. But for all wrong reasons. A deliberate campaign is being launched to malign its democratic space. It is the most prestigious academic institution in the country. Students from all over the world vie to come here and study. Its professors  like Amitabh Mattoo have become vice chancellors of renowned universities in the country. I was its student from 1992 to 97 to study for an M.Phil and Ph.D in the second innings of my academic pursuit after having graduated in Mathematics from Delhi university and in post-graduated in political science from Rajasthan.

I was inspired to join the JNU after starting a monthly magazine Indo-Latin American File (ILAF) in 1992. As the name suggests, it was a monthly journal to look at India's relations with the Hispanic world. It was launched at the behest of the Colombian ambassador in India David Sanchej Juliao as Colombian File and rechristened as ILAF. I am grateful to then  head of the Latin American department Prof R. Narayanan for giving me a direct dmission to Ph.D on the basis of my writings on Latin America in my weekly column''Demarche' in the English daily Mid-day. It was a Bombay-based eveninger edited and woned by Khalid Ansari and its Delhi edition was launched by me in 1986. John Dayal was my successor.

Studying at the JNU in the School of International Studies (SIS) was a thrilling experience. There was a professor on deputation from Brazil besides the equally competent associate s like Prof Abdul Nafey, who is the current chairman. He was my guide for the Ph.D studies. I was his privileged co-editor in an anthology Latin America in the Emerging World Order: Opportunities for India, Reflections of R.Narayanan. It was our collective tribute to the veteran don. It was published by B.R.Publishing Corporation in 1999.

There were no regular classes for Ph.D students but there used to a seminar-cum-tutorial every Friday in which students were expected to make presentations. I also presented a few of them. These presentations were a serious affair followed by intense discussions in which the presenters were grilled., of course without any malice. There were intermittent tea sessions as well. The atmosphere was quasi friendly and explorative as well. I had never witnessed such exercises elsewhere in my entire academic journey.

JNU has one of the best libraries. The librarian staff was more than co-operative. There are book stalls where all books are readily available or ordered for immediate rebursal. Both the professors encouraged students to visit them at home for discussions and even handling personal issues. The students could borrow books from the teacher's shelf. Both the professors contributed liberally, without any expectation for the ilaf and even chaired sessions in a series of seminars. I also remember two Chawlas professors who were also Narayan's students. He had the unique distinction of having successfully guided more than two dozen M.Phils and a dozen and a half Ph.Ds in Latin America. Many other universities like Goa have hired JNU alumna like Prof V.Shivkumar and Balbir Singh who is settled in Australia now.

Though, I had made inroads into the corridors of South Block, the then headquarters of the ministry of external affairs headed by joint secretaries like K.M.Meena, Ram Mohan, Homai Saha etc and S.Jaishankar, the current foreign secretary who was media advisor to the then president Shanker Dayal Sharma. When I contacted for one of president's impending visit to Latin America, he was visibly impressed by my effort and asked me to pack my baggage to be a part of the press corps. But the scholars of the JNU maintained a respectable distance from the mandarins of the MEA.

I even organized many seminars at the IIC and one on G.15 at Vigyan Bhawan. It was inaiurated by the then minister of state for external affairs Salman Khursheed. The MEA also supported the publications of the papers presented at the three-day seminar. Khursheed lent full support to the ilaf and other activities. It alerted the diplomatic community of Delhi about the magazine. The Ilaf enjoyed their whole-hearted support.

Lastly, there was a lighter note on the aside. Next to the SIS, there is School of Languages which imparts courses from undergraduate level to Ph.D in different language including Spanish and Portuguese. But the two schools had an unhealthy competition. SIS crowd looked down upon their neighbours as translator and interpretation  coaching center. That is not true as I was equally close to the professors like S.P. Ganguly and Anil Dhingra of the SL. They did serious research work in the literature, culture and society of the concerned countries.

I was invited by Prof Priti Singh of SIS tis week to speak on Latin America for her students. Alas, there are disturbing noises coming from there. I hope they will die down sooner than later.