Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 5 - The Indian EYE 073126
P. 5

    COVER STORY                                                               JULY 31, 2026    |  The Indian Eye                    5

            position in the Lok Sabha and Con-                                                                    alleged  examination  irregularities
            gress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday                                                                     steadily transformed into a broader
            launched  a  direct  attack  on  Union                                                                political  issue.  Initially,  the  govern-
            Home Minister Amit Shah, holding                                                                      ment’s response focused on adminis-
            him personally responsible for police                                                                 trative measures, investigations into
            action and excessive use of force, in-                                                                alleged  paper  leaks  and  assurances
            cluding  allegedly  using  pellet  guns,                                                              that the integrity of the examination
            against student protesters in the na-                                                                 process  would  be  protected.  How-
            tional  capital.  Speaking  at  a  press                                                              ever,  sustained  protests  at  Jantar
            conference,  Gandhi  alleged  that                                                                    Mantar have shifted  the narrative
            Shah authorised the usage of lethal                                                                   from  procedural  lapses  to  political
            weapons during the protests, citing it                                                                accountability.
            as a fundamental issue in Parliament.                                                                     Student movements have histor-
                “We  hold  Amit  Shah  directly                                                                   ically occupied a unique place in In-
            responsible for the violence that has                                                                 dia’s democratic landscape.
            taken place against our students. He                                                                      Unlike  protests  centered  on
            authorised the shooting of our stu-                                                                   sector-specific demands, student ag-
            dents. He authorised the use of le-  Union Ministers JP Nadda, Jitendra Singh and Cockroach Janta Party’s Chief Spokesperson   itations often  evolve  into  wider de-
            thal weapons, including pellet guns,   Saurav Das during a press conference, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI Photo/Naveen Sharma)  bates about governance, fairness and
            against  our  students.  For  us,  this  is                                                           opportunity.  They  attract  sympathy
            a fundamental issue. We will not ac-                                                                  because they are associated with as-
            cept our own forces shooting at the   don’t think they can take these, but   Janata Party (CJP), which has been   pirations rather than vested interests.
            future of India. This will be a major   let’s see. The students had two more   demanding  accountability  over  al-  India has witnessed several stu-
            issue in Parliament,” he said,    demands. They should not be forgot-  leged  paper  leaks.  On  July  20,  the   dent-led movements that eventually
                Gandhi emphasised that the    ten. The first demand is that action   group  organised  a  ‘Sansad  Chalo’   influenced national politics. The Nav
            protests were a direct outcome of the   should  be  taken  against  both  the   march  from  Jantar  Mantar  to  the   Nirman movement in Gujarat during
            failed “education system, media sys-  implementers and organisers who   Parliament,  during  which  instances   the  1970s,  the  student  participation
            tem, and job creation system” in the   attacked,  assaulted,  and  beat  the   of laathi charge and tear gas shelling   in Jayaprakash Narayan’s movement
            country, adding that this could seri-  students,  and  that  action  should  be   were reported to disperse the huge   against the Emergency, the Mandal
            ously impact the country in case of an   visible. The students should see that   crowd gathered in central Delhi.   Commission protests of the early
            economic crisis in the future.    these people have been punished for   Earlier,  The  Union  govern-  1990s, and more recent demonstra-
                “The students are also demand-  this reason. Secondly, the main oper-  ment’s  decision  to  engage  directly   tions over university autonomy and
            ing an apology from the Prime Min-  ator of the system, Narendra Modi ji,   with representatives of the student   citizenship laws all demonstrated the
            ister. This protest has happened, and   should apologise to the students of   movement protesting at Jantar Man-  capacity  of  youth  mobilizations  to
            the  deeper  reason  behind  it  is  that   India,” he said.        tar reflects the growing political sig-  shape political narratives.
            India’s systems- the job creation sys-  Calling Dharmendra Pradhan “a   nificance of the agitation over alleged   Not every student protest devel-
            tem,  education  system,  institution-  symbol of corruption and destruction   irregularities  in  the  National  Eligi-  ops into a mass political movement.
            al  system,  and  media  system  have   of  the  education  system,”  Gandhi   bility-cum-Entrance  Test  (NEET).   Many lose momentum once immedi-
            been destroyed. They have ceased to   said that the government will have to   While  the  Centre  has  not  accepted   ate  grievances  are  addressed.  How-
            function effectively. There are conse-  take concrete steps to make reforms   the protesters’ principal demand for   ever, governments have traditionally
            quences to this. We are now facing a   in the education system.     the resignation of Union Education   treated  such  protests  with  caution
            serious economic crisis. During times   The  resignation  came  after   Minister  Dharmendra  Pradhan,  it   because they resonate strongly with
            of serious economic crisis, these sys-  weeks of nationwide protests over al-  has demonstrated a willingness to ne-  middle-class families, whose children
            tems become even more important.   leged examination irregularities and   gotiate on other key issues, signaling   are  directly  affected  by  educational
            The government should understand   a 26-day hunger strike led by Wangc-  that the movement has become too   policies.
            that what has happened here is just   huk at Jantar Mantar. The agitation   important to ignore.          The significance of the protests
            one step in a much deeper problem,”   was  spearheaded  by  the  Cockroach   What  began  as  outrage  over   extends beyond a single examination.
            he said.                                                                                              Over the past several years, concerns
                The Congress MP further under-                                                                    over  examination  paper  leaks,  re-
            lined that these student protests were                                                                cruitment  irregularities  and  delays
            a stern warning to the government,                                                                    in  competitive  examinations  have
            saying that it is high time that the                                                                  emerged in multiple states and across
            centre stop treating the country as its                                                               different recruitment agencies.
            “personal  fiefdom.”  Gandhi  added                                                                       The participation of civil society
            that if the government continues to                                                                   figures such as Sonam Wangchuk has
            ignore the youth, a similar situation                                                                 further  broadened  the  movement’s
            with a greater impact could arise in                                                                  appeal. Unlike conventional political
            the future.                                                                                           protests,  student  movements  often
                LoP Rahul Gandhi demanded                                                                         attract support from parents, teach-
            that Prime Minister Narendra Modi                                                                     ers, professionals and social organi-
            apologise to the students, adding that                                                                zations, expanding their influence be-
            both  implementers  and  organisers                                                                   yond traditional partisan boundaries.
            who  attacked,  assaulted,  and  beat                                                                     That wider support explains why
            the students should be dealt with le-                                                                 the  government  chose  engagement
            gal action.                                                                                           rather  than  confrontation.  Negotia-
                    “Our  education  system  has                                                                  tion helps reduce the possibility that
            been hollowed out from within. So,   Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) Founder Abhijeet addresses a press conference at Jantar Mantar (ANI)   the protests evolve into a broader cam-
            deep  steps  will  have  to  be  taken.  I                                                            paign questioning governance itself.

                                                                   www.TheIndianEYE.com

| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |