AISA supports CJP march, demands withdrawal of FIRs against students

The All India Students’ Association has backed the Cockroach Janta Party’s proposed September 5 Delhi march, demanding withdrawal of FIRs against students and an inquiry into alleged pellet and bullet firing during earlier protests, amid renewed mobilisation over student grievances

Mumbai: The All India Students’ Association (AISA) has lent support to the Cockroach Janta Party’s proposed September 5 protest march in Delhi, demanding withdrawal of FIRs against students and an inquiry into alleged pellet and bullet firing during earlier demonstrations.

The issues that have prompted the youth mobilisation remain unresolved, with cases still pending against students despite the government’s earlier commitment to withdraw them, AISA president Neha Bora told PTI on Wednesday.

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“The government must fully withdraw all cases. There should be an inquiry into the firing of pellets and bullets, and the government must be fully prepared to take accountability for the same,” the Left-wing student leader said.

“From AISA, we are seeing that this is a matter which still remains unresolved. The government itself had committed to withdrawing the cases, but still this is a major issue where students who protested against the government have cases against them,” she said.

The Abhijeet Dipke-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced that it would resume peaceful mobilisation, after a month-long pause following negotiations with the Centre.

The proposed march on September 5, which falls on Teachers’ Day, is to be led by families of students who died by suicide following the cancellation of the NEET exam and the subsequent re-test, and those who were allegedly subjected to police excesses during the July agitation.

Bora, who was on a hunger strike for 23 days along with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk in Delhi over the NEET paper leak last month, claimed the protests became necessary because the government had made dialogue with ordinary people difficult.

“The entire point of why students and youth had come out on the streets and why we came out on the streets was that this government has made it impossible for the common people to have a dialogue with them,” she said.

“We stand with any democratic, secular, progressive agitation or protest that demands accountability from this government which refuses to listen,” asserted Bora, who also took part in the protest against the alleged recruitment exam irregularities in Jharkhand.

On the participation of families affected by the NEET controversy, the AISA chief said the government should have recognised their concerns when the agitation started.

“This government should have realised at the beginning of our agitation that students affected by NEET, and families who have lost their loved ones because of the government’s failure, had come out to force their voices to be heard,” she said.

“If this government is not willing to listen to the affected, then it only shows their inhumanity,” alleged the JNU PhD scholar, whose student outfit is affiliated with the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation.

Asked about the government’s likely response to the renewed mobilisation, Bora said a democratic government should engage with people seeking dialogue.

“Ideally, the government of a democracy should listen to people who are coming to have a dialogue with it. What will be this government’s response is not something I can say,” she said.

On the Delhi Police saying they had not received a request for the September 5 march so far and that any request would be reviewed, Bora said AISA would wait for the police’s response.

“We will also wait and watch for what the police say. There have been many protests in the past without police permission being granted, and we are those people who stand by the democratic principle that protests do not need permission,” she said.

Bora said AISA’s support extended beyond the withdrawal of cases, covering issues affecting students across the country, including centralisation of examinations and agitations at the state, university and college levels.

“Exactly what this mobilisation will articulate remains to be seen. We are continuing our campaign since the end of the Jantar Mantar movement on the issues that are affecting students across the country,” she said.

“Whether it be protest resulting from centralisation like the NTA and NEET exams, or even state and universities/college level agitations, our solidarity and our support is there with every protest demanding rights and accountability,” Bora added.