New Delhi, Apr 24 (PTI) The air at Jawaharlal Nehru University crackled with energy as drums rolled, slogans roared, and flags fluttered during the presidential debate for the JNU Students’ Union elections — a spectacle that blended political theatre with passionate student activism.

From cries of “Kashmir hamara hai” and “Hindu lives matter” by ABVP to chants of “Azadi” and the sight of a Palestinian flag by AISA in solidarity, the amphitheatre turned into a mini-parliament of India’s most politically conscious campus.

Every inch of the venue told a story. Handwritten posters demanded answers, “Where is our hostel?” one asked. Some bore portraits of Nehru, faded but firm, peeking from the crowd as reminders of the university’s roots. The Election Committee frequently had to intervene as the deafening clash of dhaplis, drums, and chants drowned out the microphones.

The debate began at 11:30 pm on Wednesday and stretched into the early hours of Thursday, concluding around 4 am. All 13 candidates were allotted 10 minutes each to present their views, turning the campus amphitheatre into a charged arena of ideological face-offs and political expression.

  Before the speeches commenced, a two-minute silence was observed in memory of the 26 people killed in the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The two-minute stillness briefly cut through the intense atmosphere of the night.

As the speeches began, the air was thick with competing slogans. AISA and SFI activists drowned out the ABVP candidate’s address, while ABVP volunteers beat dholaks and clanged metal plates whenever Left-aligned speakers took the stage.

ABVP’s presidential candidate, Shikha Swaraj, electrified the crowd with fire of her own, invoking the recent Pahalgam terror attack. “To those who say terrorism has no religion — were the victims not asked their faith before being killed,” she asked. “The Left has failed JNU. It’s time ABVP showed how to truly fight for student rights.”  “Andhera hai, raat hai, ye laal andhera chhatega aur is JNU campus mein akhil bhaarateey vidyaarthee parishad ka sooraj ugega,” Swaraj added.

  AISA’s Nitish Kumar with a sharp rebuttal of alleged election manipulation.

“This is no mayoral election in Chandigarh to be rigged. This is JNU!” he declared before launching into a rendition of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s iconic poem: “Chali hai rasm ki koi na sar uthake chale. Jo koi chaahne waala tawaf ko nikle najar chura ke chale jism-o-jaan bache ke chale.”  The most dramatic disruption occurred during Choudhary Tayyaba Ahmed’s speech.

Representing a coalition of SFI, BAPSA and PSA, she was forced to pause for ten minutes as ABVP supporters relentlessly banged metal lids.

“JNU is broken, and this debate shows who broke it. I am not afraid of you,” she declared as she resumed, adding, “I will keep standing right here until you let me finish. This is the ABVP that held the EC hostage, and yet here we are, still standing.”  They don’t want us to speak. They don’t want us to study. But we are still here, fighting for gender and social justice, Chaudhary added.

  NSUI’s Pradeep Dhaka wove a narrative that jumped from Adani to Trump, from Punjab’s farmers to the constitution. “The Constitution will run this country, not any organisation,” he thundered.

Arvind Kumar, representing the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, the student wing of the Samajwadi Party, focused on minority rights, stating, “The worst state of affairs is that of minority students on this campus. Reservations for them must be implemented immediately.” He also targeted both the ABVP and the Left, accusing them of being “equal culprits in bringing JNU to this state.”  AIDSO’s Suman painted a grim picture of the university’s academic resources. “No journals in the library. No funds. We’re forced to take loans from HEFA. We need to do politics like Bhagat Singh and Subhash.”  Independent candidates, often drowned in the noise, quietly made their presence felt, blaming Left and Right for neglecting students’ concerns in favour of larger ideological battles.

  This year’s elections have seen major realignments. The long-standing United Left has splintered. AISA has allied with DSF, while SFI, BAPSA, AISF and PSA have forged another bloc.

The ABVP has fielded a full panel: Shikha Swaraj (President), Nittu Goutham (Vice-President), Kunal Rai (General Secretary), and Vaibhav Meena (Joint Secretary). From the AISA-DSF alliance: Nitish Kumar (President), Manisha (Vice-President), Munteha Fatima (General Secretary), and Naresh Kumar (Joint Secretary).

  With 7,906 students eligible to vote, 57 per cent male and 43 per cent female, the battle is fierce and deeply personal.

  Polling will be held on April 25 in two sessions: 9 am to 1 pm, and 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Counting will begin the same night, and results are expected by April 28.

  Whether it’s the fight for hostels or the call for Palestine, JNU’s election debate proved again that on this campus, the personal is always political, and the political is always poetic. PTI MHS AMJ AMJ AMJ