Nalanda backdrop at G-20: JD-U attacks centre for hiding its revival under Nitish, drift under BJP

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United on Tuesday accused the Centre of “derailing the great revival story of the ancient Nalanda University” whose ruins formed the backdrop of at the dinner hosted for G-20 delegates by the President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on Sunday.

“When PM Modi was showing the ruins, he should have simultaneously also showed the new campus of the revived Nalanda University, which has been developed at the behest of Nitish Kumar, and spoken about the revival. This should have made it more meaningful,” JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said.

He said the picture of the new campus was not shown just because it has been developed due to Nitish Kumar’s initiative. “He (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) fears the personality of Nitish Kumar, who walks the talk, and not just talks. The PM does not want to acknowledge the good initiatives of the Nitish Kumar government,” he added.

“For the revival of Nalanda University, 18 nations had joined hands, but all of them have withdrawn due to political interference of the Centre. BJP has destroyed the very objective with which Nitish Kumar had visualised Nalanda University and taken it forward,” he said.

The JD-U spokesman asked why the construction of Nalanda University could not be completed in the last 13 years and why China has moved ahead with its own Nalanda University, though it was assisting in the development of ancient Nalanda.

“Is it not true that the Centre targeted former Chancellor and Nobel laureate Dr Amartya Sen for political reasons? Is it not a fact that the courses earlier visualised for Nalanda University were stopped by Centre’s interference? Is it not true that the donations to the university stopped from foreign countries due to political interference? Former Chancellor George Yeo left his position due to growing political interference and later many professors also left their positions,” Kumar said.

The academic session of Nalanda University started on September 1, 2014 from its makeshift venue at the International Convention Centre at the Buddhist pilgrim town of Rajgir, barely 10 kms from the ancient Nalanda.

On September 19, 2014 the then minister for external affairs late Sushma Swaraj had formally inaugurated it, reiterating Centre’s full ownership of NU.

The Bihar government provided around 455 acres of land for the university, which was conceptualised by former President late APJ Abdul Kalam and chief minister Nitish Kumar, though it has had a fair share of controversies in its journey over the way it has moved.

BJP state president Samrat Choudhary said that the JD-U was jittery by the resounding success of G-20 meet and acknowledgement of the growing stature of India under PM Narendra Modi. “Nalanda University is moving in the right direction and the Centre has extended all possible help. It is a matter of understanding, not politics. G-20 was a matter of pride for India, not just Bihar. The Centre has given all the funds for campus development and the JD-U should first take care of the institutions run by the state government. The heritage sites were showcased at G-20 from across the country and not just Bihar,” he said.