AISA backs CJP’s September 5 Delhi march, demands justice for students and firing probe

The All India Students’ Association (AISA) on Wednesday backed 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.

AISA president Neha Bora said the issues that triggered the youth mobilisation remained unresolved, with cases still pending against students despite the government’s earlier commitment to withdraw them.

"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 CJP has announced plans to resume peaceful mobilisation 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 families of students who died by suicide following the cancellation of the NEET exam and subsequent re-test, as well as those allegedly subjected to police excesses during the July agitation.

Bora, who had joined climate activist Sonam Wangchuk in a 23-day hunger strike in Delhi over the NEET paper leak, said the protests were driven by the difficulty faced by ordinary people in engaging with the government.

"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 had also participated in protests over alleged recruitment exam irregularities in Jharkhand.

On the participation of families affected by the NEET controversy, Bora said their concerns should have been acknowledged when the agitation began.

"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.

Bora said a democratic government should engage with people seeking dialogue, while adding that she could not predict the Centre’s response to the renewed mobilisation.

"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 it had not received a request for the September 5 march, Bora said AISA would await the police 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 to broader student issues, including the centralisation of examinations and protests 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.

(With inputs from PTI)

INTERVIEW | Paper leak agitation continuation of years of Left activism, not revival: AISA's Neha Bora