Jawaharlal Nehru Students’ Union president will write his first book this year, titled Bihar to Tihar. Kumar, who was jailed for 20 days on sedition charges, hails from the Begusarai district in Bihar. He was jailed after being accused of shouting anti-national slogans at an event organised to protest the judicial hanging of Parliament attacks convict Afzal Guru on February 9. The Times of India reported that the book is likely to be completed by August.
The 28-year-old PhD scholar’s first book will be published in both English and Hindi. The book will trace his journey from his village to student politics and his arrest in Delhi. Juggernaut Books, who will publish the novel, also said it would be the “story of how education that encourages debate and questioning can open up young minds to social and political issues”. Kumar told The Times of India, “It's the story about how in this exploitative society (shoshan kari samaj), a boy from a marginalised section struggled his way to come to JNU to study and how some people target him.”
Kumar was fined Rs 10,000 by JNU for violating disciplinary norms during the February 9 event. The institution also rusticated his peers Umar Khalid for one semester, Anirban Bhattacharya till July 15, and Mujeeb Gatoo for two semesters. The move came after a university committee recommended rusticating the students, but has been condemned by the Students’ Union and others.
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