LONG LIVE STUDENTS’ UNITY!!
RISE AGAINST PRIVATIZATION
AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF EDUCATION!!
BAN THE ENTRY OF POLICE IN
EDUCATIONAL CAMPUSES!!
STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH STUDENTS STRUGGLING FOR THEIR GENUINE DEMANDS!!
Students for Society (SFS) today protested
against the yesterdays’ lathi-charge on Punjabi University and Banaras Hindu
University students. Highlighting the repression that the students have faced
in the recent past while struggling against the anti-student policies and for
their democratic rights, student leaders of Naujawan Bharat Sabha and Ambedkar
Students’ Association also addressed & condemned the incidents. The protest
in Punjabi University started yesterday with students raising their demands
like the problems of stipends and hostels for the research scholars, timing of
the girls’ hostels. The issue of the implementation of the decision of rollback
of fee hike was also in the frame. It is ample clear that the intervention of
police in the issue was unwarranted. The students were brutally beaten up and
tear gas was used. Heightening the repression in BHU, the police even fired
upon the protesting students. The main demand in BHU was for a democratic
student representation which instead of discussing issue called the police into
action. It has been further learnt that in Punjabi University criminal cases
have been registered against 22 students and that 2 students have been detained
in BHU.
their democratic rights, student leaders of Naujawan Bharat Sabha and Ambedkar
Students’ Association also addressed & condemned the incidents. The protest
in Punjabi University started yesterday with students raising their demands
like the problems of stipends and hostels for the research scholars, timing of
the girls’ hostels. The issue of the implementation of the decision of rollback
of fee hike was also in the frame. It is ample clear that the intervention of
police in the issue was unwarranted. The students were brutally beaten up and
tear gas was used. Heightening the repression in BHU, the police even fired
upon the protesting students. The main demand in BHU was for a democratic
student representation which instead of discussing issue called the police into
action. It has been further learnt that in Punjabi University criminal cases
have been registered against 22 students and that 2 students have been detained
in BHU.
Most worrisome is the
manner in which the police intervention has increased in the educational
institutes all over the country, reducing the autonomy of universities to mere
paper. Talking of the great participation in all progressive movements of the
country SFS General Secretary Damanpreet Singh said “The University authorities
had always used such measures to suppress the student dissent, as we have
witnessed in Panjab University, Punjabi University (Patiala), Banaras Hindu
University (Varanasi), Himachal Pradesh University (Shimla), Jadavpur
University (Kolkata) and others. The phenomenon is in its continuity. But the
root cause of the phenomenon lies in the Neoliberal policies that are bring
pursued by the government, resulting in privatisation and commercialisation of
education. So, the students have to come forward against anti-people policies
and resist the every action aimed at curbing the democratic space and increasing
intervention of police in the university campuses, and have to unite to build a
healthy and democratic atmosphere.” He said that at one hand it is propagated
that there is lack of funds for public education whereas on the other hand the
same govt. goes on to give huge subsidies to corporates. The students demanded
that the entry of police in educational campuses be banned and they raised the
slogans of students’ unity.
Issued
by:
Damanpreet
Singh
General
Secretary SFS
9464142275