A proposal by JNU vice chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar to place a tank in the prestigious university has got mired in controversy, with liberals highlighting its pointlessness and neo-nationalists intent on bulldozing their way through it.

Come on, it’s a tank and not a truckle. I don’t think keeping a tank at JNU will take away its strong character or even dent its reputation of having inspired people who have gone on to leave their mark on public life.

In fact, a tank will be a fine symbol of its association with not one, but six defence educational institutions.

JNU has granted recognition and accreditation to prestigious institutions across the country and as it says on its website: “This has added to the true national character of the university.”

So, which are the defence institutions associated with JNU?

The defence institutions are:
 

• Army Cadet College, Dehradun

• College of Military Engineering, Pune

• Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, Secunderabad

• Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, Mhow

• National Defence Academy, Pune

• Naval College of Engineering, Lonavala

Looking at this list of illustrious defence institutions, it seems that the resistance to a military symbol at JNU doesn’t hold much water.

Since there has now been a controversy over this, my suggestion would be to have a greater interaction between the military and the JNU students and teachers.

Organising military seminars, holding talks by defence experts, interaction of a small group of students with a senior service military officer and even visits by JNU students and teachers to army, navy and air force bases in forward areas will go a long way in quelling anxiety.

JNU vice chancellor Jagadesh Kumar regularly hits the gym and practices Shito-Ryu Karate, a form of karate that was founded in 1934 and lays strong emphasis on sparring. I am sure this is one fight which Kumar would not back down from.