After Farmers, Students to Gather in Delhi to Protest Central Government’s ‘Anti-education Policies’

New Delhi: Students from various universities of the country are coming together to hold a protest march, under the banner Chattra Yuva Adhikar March, in New Delhi against the alleged “anti-education” policies of the central government.

The protesting students say that the Narendra Modi-led government has come up with “anti-education, anti-youth policies”. The students are oraginsing the protest on lines of “Kisan Mukti March that was held in the national capital in October.

Elected unions of FTII, JNU, AMU, Allahabad University, Rajasthan University, AIIMS, BHU, TISS, Manipur Student Union and groups like Rozgar Mangey India and Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, IIT Madras are taking part in the protest march.

The students in their statement said that they have been on the streets during the last four and half years, resisting the anti-student and youth policy of the government. They pressed on the need to unite against such policies.

“Our joint student youth mobilisation will bring forward the burning questions of the student – youths of the country,” a statement by the students’ front said.

It added: “If it was believed that tall promises to the students and youth brought Modi to power in 2014, our nationwide campaign and its culmination in a massive mobilisation in Delhi will ensure that the student-youth community renders the strongest blow to Modi’s dream to return to power in 2019.”

National mobilisation will start on February 7, 2019 under the banner proposed “National Coordination for Chattra Yuva Adhikar March (NCCYAM) which will be formally launched on December 28.

The members have also said that the campaign will be made “easily comprehensible and appealing to the maximum number of students and youth”, along the lines of Kisan Mukti march.

Students have been asked to keep brief central demands and produce a longer “Students-Youth Charter for 2019”, which can be a more comprehensive list of the most pressing issues of the student-youth community.

Students’ forum has demanded hostel and scholarships for all applicants, 100 new central universities, end of gender discriminatory rules, anti-sexual harassment cell in campuses, end of contractualisation and filling of all vacant government jobs. The forum has also demanded an end to the “saffronisation” of education and complete academic autonomy a freedom of expression on campuses.