All India Students Association (AISA) launched a country wide campaign - 'Modi Sarkar Ke Das Saal, Young India Ke Das Sawaal' (Ten Years of Modi Government, Ten Questions of Young India) at Press Club in Delhi on December 7.
Speaking the launch, AISA National General Secretary, Com. Prasenjeet Kumar said that the past decade has seen the Modi government’s detrimental impact on the country’s resources and public institutions. The student-youth have witnessed the gradual erosion of our public-funded higher education system. In light of this brazen attack the campaign seeks accountability for the ten years of Modi rule and puts forward the demands of today's student and youth.
The Press Conference was addressed by Prof. Nandini Sundar, Prof. Jitendra Meena and Journalist Anil Chamadia. Prof Sundar, highlighted the importance of the need for a campaign that seeks to influence the agenda for the 2024 election. She said "It is a matter of the kind of education system we wish to see in this country. It is a matter of asking and deciding 'what is worth knowing'?" She also commented on the mass displacement of ad hoc teachers currently ongoing in DU and said that "It is essential and urgent to save our universities because once they are destroyed, several generations of students for decades would have to bear the brunt of it. There is no comment on the capabilities of the professors who are being appointed now, but the fact of the matter is that they are not being based on their teaching experience or skills, they are being appointed for toeing the line of the ruling party. And once they are appointed they will stay and trach in our universities for a long time and the generation of teachers will also now be appointed by them."
Journalist Anil Chamadia highlighted the great disparity that exists in university spaces where women, SC, ST and OBC students who wish to enter higher education are being systematically denied admissions. He said " There are several ways of cutting the thumbs of today's Eklavayas. It happens not only at the foundational and central level of societal marginalisation and University spaces have become increasingly hostile towards marginalised students. There are many Rohith Vemulas whose institutional murder the New Education Policy systematically designates."
Prof. Jitendra Meena further elaborated on the pathetic state of social justice in higher education. Citing the government's own data that reveals the shocking levels of exclusion of SC, ST, OBC students Prof Meena said "122 students from IITs, NITs, central universities, and other central institutions died by suicide between 2014-21. Of these, 68 out of 122 belonged to the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), or Other Backward Classes (OBC)." He wished the campaign well and said that it was imperative that the BJP and Sangh Brigade's anti-student politics be challenged by the collective might of the student and youth.
The campaign was simultaneously launched including Bihar and Jharkhand, where press conferences were held. The campaign resolved to intensify the struggle to expose the ever increasing levels of failure of the current government in ensuring quality and affordable education and dignified employment to the students and youth of this country. The campaign would be carried out in all universities and students' residential across the country in the upcoming month.
