A Jadavpur University student and Dalit activist Arko Dev Sinha was harassed and threatened by Hindutva footsoldiers after a WhatsApp disagreement with JU ABVP member Samprati Modak.
It all started on 27th June, when Arko viewed his departmental senior Samprati's WhatsApp status where the latter allegedly slutshamed a female member of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) by sharing her photograph with a misogynistic caption. The photograph depicted the SFI student carrying a protest banner against the government's treatment of Indian Army jawans in the border. Arko, on seeing this WhatsApp story, requested Samprati to apologize in a departmental WhatsApp group for the International Relations students of Jadavpur University. When Samprati refused to respond, Arko went ahead and removed her from the said WhatsApp group for the mental well-being of the other group members.
An enraged Samprati took to social media where she shared the screenshots of Arko removing her from the group, from the WhatsApp chat. Arko's phone number, therefore, was out publicly on her social media platform till she removed the screenshots after an hour or two.
However the damage had been done as several Hindutva supporters and sympathizers had got hold of Arko's personal mobile number, tracked him down and had started sending him threatening messages, voice notes and calls.
Samprati went on to twist an old post of Arko's and frame him so it seemed as if he was insulting the Dalit community. She misinterpreted a statement by Arko and publicized it as hate speech hurting the sentiments of the Dalit/SC-ST-OBC community. What Samprati seems to have forgotten was the fact that Arko himself is a member of the Rajbangshi community and a Dalit individual himself.
Some of Samprati's Hindutva henchmen have also dug up old Facebook posts by Arko criticizing the current fascist regime and have passed them off as "Hinduphobic" posts "hurting religious sentiments."
Samprati, along with her friends, Mansi Tripathi and Vishal Kumar, have apparently lodged a legal complaint against Arko under IPC Sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, etc and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony), 295 (Destruction, damage or defilement of a place of worship or object held sacred, with intent to insult a religion of a class of persons), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), Section 66A of the Information and Technology Act ('offensive' messages sent through a computer or any other communication device) under relevant provisions of SC/ST Act, 1989. This update was posted by Samprati on her Facebook profile. However, Arko confirmed that the police has not tried to contact him, as of yet.
Meanwhile Hindutva cyber goons have been harassing and threatening him with phone calls, voice notes and messages filled with the choicest of casteist, misogynist and homophobic slurs. He has been threatened to be beaten up in front of his parents and has also been told that the location of his residence is known to them. He says that a couple of days ago, when he went out for milk, he was wary of everyone in the streets, afraid of people following him and executing their threats. He added that his parents, though supportive, are naturally worried for him and traumatized. Arko has been through immense mental trauma for the past few days.
His friends, too, are scared for his safety.
Sarah, his classmate says that she is "extremely worried" about her friend's wellbeing.
Arko is an independent activist in Jadavpur University, who has always spoken up against any injustice done by any political organization, irrespective of their ideology and allegiances. A strong Dalit rights activist, feminist and queer rights ally, Arko is well loved and respected by most fellow activists in the circle. The recent series of events has perturbed most of his allies.
Ekabali Ghosh, an activist and research scholar at Jadavpur University says, "Arko Dev Sinha is a Dalit activist from a mofussil background who has been fighting caste discrimination since his first day in university. He has never once strayed from being an ally to the feminist and queer movements. Today ABVP decides to charge him with "relevant provisions" from the SC/ST Atrocities Act, effectively calling him casteist. Their first charge of casteism against him is baseless and it obviously raises vital questions about the legitimacy of all other charges against him. ABVP is trying to create a "good Dalit" and "bad Dalit" division, and the Dalit who does not agree with their policies is a "bad Dalit" and needs to be robbed off of their claim to Dalitness. That is exactly what they are trying to do with Arko."
The Femme Eye had tried to reach out to Samprati Modak but she has refused to speak to us. Samprati was the General Secretary candidate for ABVP contesting in the Union Election, this year, in the Arts Faculty of Jadavpur University.
Ever since the BJP government came into power in 2014, the dissenting population, especially left-leaning students in liberal University spaces like Jadavpur University, Jamia Milia Islamia University, Jawaharlal Nehru University etc have come under attack. Arko is doubly marginalized what with his progressive views and Dalit identity and it is no wonder that he has been framed in this way. From Safoora Zargar to Aishe Ghosh, any voice critical of the current regime has been labelled 'anti-national' and has been snuffed out. Arko, a second year student with a bright future ahead of him, should never have to go through what he is going through at the moment.
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