Kanhaiya Kumar has electrified India with his passionate speech, says writer Nayantara Sahgal

Delhi: Writer Nayantara Sahgal has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met his match in JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.

She also praised Kumar for his speech at JNU after his release from jail.

Sahgal was quoted by CNN IBN as saying, "Kanhaiya Kumar has electrified India with not only his speech in which much passion prevailed, but also in the interviews that he has given to the media where much rationality, much common sense, much quiet measured talk and a command of facts prevailed." 

She added, "We owe him a huge debt of gratitude for taking us out of that molasses of depression which many of us had fallen into for a while. Mr Modi has met his match in Kanhaiya Kumar."

The writer, who is niece of Jawaharlal Nehru, made the comments on Monday at the launch of Rajmohan Gandhi's latest book 'Understanding the Founding Fathers'.

At the same time, she pointed out that it was important for people to be offensive when "facts of our recent history are being totally falsified and education and culture are really in a battleground by our ruling government".

"In this day and age where everything that we value, the whole meaning of India and what India stands for is under dangerous attack, we need to be on the offensive. Everyone of us needs to stand up and be counted and speak out... We never need to explain ourselves to any one," she was quoted by the website as saying.

Sahgal had hit the headlines when last year she had returned the Sahitya Akademi award in protest against 'growing intolerance' in the country.