Students across Delhi and India are buckling up for another major mobilisation in the national capital on September 5, as the pressure group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced a march, backed by the All India Students’ Association (AISA).
The proposed demonstration, led by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, shall focus on pending cases against students who participated in the party’s ‘Chalo Sansad’ protests organised at Jantar Mantar on July 20 this year. Besides this, the allegations of pellet and bullet firing on demonstrators during the Jantar Mantar protest are also in focus.
A still from an earlier protest led by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)
Meanwhile, the AISA has backed the soon-to-be-held protest, demanding the withdrawal of all FIRs registered against protesting students, along with a probe into the alleged use of firearms and pellets.
AISA President says this
AISA President Neha Bora told news agency PTI on Wednesday that the issues which fuelled the youth-led mobilisation still stand unresolved, despite the Union Government’s earlier commitment to withdraw cases against protesting students.
She said, “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.”
AISA President Neha Bora
She also maintained that cases against students remain a main unresolved issue, arguing that the Centre itself had committed to withdrawing them. She further said, “From AISA, we are seeing that this is a matter which still remains unresolved,” adding that students who protested against the government continue to face cases.
Families of NEET-affected aspirants likely to join march
The CJP has announced plans to resume its peaceful agitations after a month-long pause following talks with the Centre.
The September 5 march, which coincides with Teachers’ Day, is expected to be led by the families of those NEET aspirants who died by suicide following the cancellation of the pan-India medical entrace exam over its question paper leak. The kin of the deceased aspirants affected by police action during the July 20 agitation are also likely to chip in.
Bora, who joined climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk in a 23-day hunger strike in Delhi over the alleged NEET paper leak last month, said the protests stemmed from what she termed a lack of meaningful dialogue with the government.
AISA
She said, “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.”
Bora added that AISA would support any ‘democratic, secular, progressive agitation or protest’ seeking accountability from the government.