Protests at Allahabad and Azamgarh: Against Repression of JNU Students and Communalization of BHU

A citizens’ march was organized on 27 November 2019 at Allahabad against the repression being unleashed on JNU students and the communalization of BHU. The march began at Chandrashekhar Azad Park and culminated in a meeting at Subhash Chowk. Speakers at the meeting condemned the central government’s vicious campaign to destroy JNU through methods like fee hike, repressive hostel rules, policing of students and other anti-student measures. When the students marched to Parliament to protest the destruction of affordable education, brutal police violence was unleashed on them. The Modi government has failed to provide affordable education as well as employment and is determined to destroy the pillar of protest and change that is JNU. The struggle by JNU students is a source of inspiration and new hope for students and youth across the country. Civil society stands in solidarity with JNU students and demands that the government should stop the repression against them and agree to their demands. The speakers also condemned the protests against the appointment of Dr Firoz Khan as Assistant Professor in Sanskrit at BHU and said that such protests are an attack against the Constitutional values of the country and will not be tolerated by civil society. Chief Editor of Janmat Ramji Rai and leaders and activists from AIKMS, SUCI (C), CPI, SFI, JASAM, CPIML, AISA, RYA, Stree Adhikar Sangathan, KRY, journalists, teachers, and many citizens participated in the march.

A protest march was organized on 27 November at Azamgarh under the Nagrik Manch banner. The march began at Ambedkar Park and culminated in a meeting at Shaheed Kunwar Singh Garden. Addressing the meeting, Kisan leader Jaiprakash Narayan said that centers of education are now being included in the process of selling public sector companies, railways, etc. There is an all-out effort to make Central Universities outsourcing centers for private universities like Jio and for Ambani and other corporate forces. JNU is the biggest obstacle in this anti-people and anti-poor attempt to reserve education for the rich alone. JNU is fighting today not just for itself but for the right to education of the poor. Civil society supports JNU fully and also stands in solidarity with the students of BHU who have come out in support of Dr Firoz Khan. The citizens’ march also expressed full support for the students of Ayush University in Uttarakhand in their protest. The march was attended in large numbers by students’ organizations, farmers’ organizations, and justice and democracy loving citizens.