Bihar Bandh
The Bihar Bandh called by AISA-RYA on 28 January was very effective across the State. Early in the morning hundreds of students led by AISA-RYA blocked the Saptakranti Express in Darbhanga. The Bandh got the support of all student-youth organizations bar those of BJP-JDU. The Mahagathbandhan parties also played an active role in the Bandh.
At Arwal RYA leaders blocked the Patna-Aurangabad road at 8 am and organized a meeting at Bhagat Singh Chowk. In Bhojpur hundreds of students blocked the Ara Bus Stand led by RYA National President MLA Manoj Manzil, AISA State Secretary Sabir Kumar and RYA State Secretary Shiv Prakash Ranjan. Addressing the meeting Manoj Manzil said that students and youth will not be fooled by the hoax of setting up a committee and 'postponement' of the Group D exam. Students and youth will hold Nitish Kumar accountable for his promise of 19 lakh jobs.
The Bandh in Dumraon was led by MLA and AISA Honorary President Ajit Kushwaha who said that the protests will continue until the demands are met and all cases slapped on students and youth are withdrawn.
MLA Sandeep Saurabh led the Bandh in Paliganj where AISA-RYA activists blocked the Patna-Aurangabad road. Sandeep Saurabh said that the forming of a committee is a hoax and it is beyond comprehension why 2 exams should be held for Group D instead of a single exam as per the earlier notification; students and youth will not be deceived by this hoax.
The Bandh in Muzaffarpur was led by RYA State President Aftab Alam. The government threatened teachers and students in order to render the Bandh ineffective, but despite the threats hundreds of students and youth came out on the streets and blocked rail and road traffic. The Fatuha-Islampur road was blocked, as were NH 57 in Muzaffarpur and KB Chowk in Islampur. A huge march was organized in Jehanabad city. Roads were blocked at various places in Madhepura, Khagaria, Siwan, Gaya and Navada.
AISA-RYA leaders said that if the government were really serious about the aspirants' demands, they would act immediately. On the one hand they are putting forth the hoax of a committee while on the other hand they are unleashing repression and brutal lathi charge on the students. Today the whole of Bihar is demanding an amended result with 7 lakh names, and a single exam for Group D.
MLAs Mahboob Alam and Sandeep Saurabh Arrested during Bandh
The Bihar Bandh’s impact was seen in the capital Patna where Bandh supporters kept Dak Bangla Chowk jammed for hours, thus bringing traffic to a standstill. En route to Dak Bangla Chowk, student organizations organized a march from Patna University to Dak Bangla via Ashok Rajpath, Makhnia Kuan and various areas in Patna City. The march was attended by a large number of students. Students from other organizations and parties also reached Dak Bangla and the Chowk was completely jammed.
Leader of CPIML legislative party Mahboob Alam, Paliganj MLA Sandeep Saurabh and Patna City Secretary Abhyuday reached Dak Bangla Chowk in support of the Bandh and addressed the protesters. The police clashed with Mahboob Alam, Sandeep Saurabh and other protesters. The police tried to use force which was opposed by the protesters. The police arrested Mahboob Alam and Sandeep Saurabh and other Bandh supporters. The leaders were arrested and taken to the Kotwali.
Prior to his arrest Mahboob Alam said that the truth is that the Modi government is deceiving the students and their intention is to sell the Railways. We will raise this issue in the Assembly and force the government to answer. Sandeep Saurabh said that this movement cannot be stopped. This has become a crucial employment issue, and the people will not be diverted by 'Hindu-Muslim' tactics. AISA State President Vikas Yadav said that the government tried every trick to foil the Bandh but no trick succeeded, and we thank the people of Bihar for making the Bandh a historic success.
The Bandh Receives Huge Support
CPIML Bihar State Secretary Kunal has condemned the arrest of MLAs Mahboob Alam and Sandeep Saurabh during the Bihar Bandh and said that the government has forgotten that it is not possible to stop any movement through repression campaigns.
This student-youth Bihar Bandh has received support from all Mahagathbandhan parties. He thanked other parties like HAM and VIP for their support and said these parties should show more courage against the government. He also thanked Pappu Yadav's organization for coming out in support of the Bandh.
Comrade Kunal further said that the eruption of students' anger on the demand for 7 lakh results and 1 exam for Group D is natural. They are receiving extensive support from all sections of society. The government tried to suppress the movement through repression and also intimidated and threatened supporters of the movement, forcing some to give statements against the Bandh. But despite all their tricks and ploys and brutalities, the Modi and Nitish governments have been thoroughly exposed on the issue of unemployment.
As elections in UP are imminent, the government is playing a hoax to evade the issue. In the past 7 years the Modi government has only cheated students and youth. Nitish has also broken his promise of 19 lakh jobs. The students' anger bursting its banks is only natural. Comrade Kunal demanded the immediate release of arrested students and withdrawal of cases slapped against them.
Comrade Kunal appealed to the students and youth of Bihar to continue the prorest firmly and peacefully and force the government to back down and stop depriving youth of jobs by privatizing national assets and stop poisoning society through Hindu-Muslim divisive poison. This student-youth movement will change the picture in Bihar as well as in the whole country.
AISA-RYA to Organize 'Railway Bharti Andolan' Across Bihar
The extensive support received by the Bihar Bandh on 28 January on the issues of results for RRB-NTPC, single exam for Group D as per original notification and withdrawal of all cases slapped against the protesting students has foiled all the tricks tried by the government to complicate and evade these issues.
AISA-RYA held a state level meeting in Patna on 29 January followed by a press conference in the light of further plans to intensify the struggle. Present at the press conference were RYA National President and MLA Manoj Manzil, AISA General Secretary and MLA Sandeep Saurabh and AISA-RYA leaders Aftab Alam, Shiv Prakash Ranjan, Sabbir Kumar and Vikas Yadav.
The student-youth leaders said that the government is trying to create the illusion that the protesters' demands have been met. But the issue is no longer limited to 7 lakh RRB-NTPC results and a single exam for Group D. It is also an issue of the Modi government's consistent attacks on job opportunities through relentless privatization. No exam process gets completed before 5 to 7 years and in the meantime students and youth have to undergo extreme mental torture. Unemployment is so rampant that there is a huge rush even for the Group D exam. Student-youth anger is at bursting point due to these policies of the government. They have got nothing but betrayal over the past 7 years.
Therefore, along with the original 2 issues this movement is now also about the added issues of immediate filling of all Railway vacancies including the jobs that have been scrapped, end to privatization of Railways, issuing of Railway recruitment calendar, and withdrawal of all cases against protesters.
A signature campaign will be organized on a memorandum with these 6 demands addressed to the Rail Minister. All MPs and Central Ministers from Bihar will also be given this memorandum in order to put pressure on the government. This movement will be organized under the name of 'Railway Bharti Andolan' (Railway Recruitment Movement).
If action is not taken on this 6-point memorandum by 4 March, a mass dharna will be organized on 5 March at all Railway complexes, and measures will be taken for a Bharat Bandh.
