New Delhi: The All India Students' Association (AISA) on Wednesday brought together representatives of student movements from across the country in an effort to build a national platform for student activism, arguing that struggles over paper leaks, campus violence, caste discrimination and student suicides were part of a common crisis confronting India's youth.
During a press conference and public convention at Constitution Club in Delhi, as the first phase of AISA's 'Gen Z Rising' campaign came to a close, representatives from movements in Jharkhand, Gujarat, Telangana, Kerala, Delhi and other parts of the country shared their experiences, with the student organisation seeking to draw connections between what it described as otherwise isolated struggles.
AISA said the campaign emerged from the Jantar Mantar protests demanding accountability in the education system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The movement, it said, had demonstrated that students could mobilise around issues concerning their future and had subsequently inspired protests in different campuses and states.
"We want to make it clear that student movements are not isolated from one another. All of them are part of a larger movement in which young people have come out to question their future and demand a transformation of the education system," said Neha, national president of AISA.
Among those who addressed the gathering was Habiba, who was associated with the movement in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations.
She said candidates had protested for 26 days and accused examination authorities of allowing corruption and irregularities to flourish.
"The movement was not against any particular political party or government. Governments have changed, but the problems have continued. We wanted a change in the system and reforms in the education and examination system," she said.
Representatives of other student movements also spoke about protests against alleged restrictions on freedom of expression and dissent on campuses.
A representative associated with the NALSAR movement referred to the recent controversy and alleged that students had faced pressure for protesting against developments at their university. The representative said the eventual withdrawal of the directions following legal intervention and public backlash should not obscure concerns over the manner in which the decisions were taken.
"Freedom of speech and the freedom to dissent are essential in a democracy. They are particularly essential in universities, which are the crucibles of democracy," said Mihira Sood, an alumnus.
The gathering also heard from representatives of a student collective in Ahmedabad, who spoke about an alleged attack on a silent reading session organised at a public garden in August.
The convention also brought attention to protests at IIT Delhi following the death by suicide of a student, with representatives raising concerns over institutional mental health support, academic procedures and administrative responses to students facing psychological distress.
A student, recounting the protests, alleged that the deceased had faced difficulties related to his academic programme, hostel accommodation and access to institutional support before his death.
AISA said the purpose of bringing together participants from different movements was to create a sense of solidarity among students and demonstrate that issues ranging from examination irregularities to campus discrimination and restrictions on dissent stemmed from larger structural concerns.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
