Patna, Aug 2 (PTI) CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya on Sunday said the movement against corruption in education, paper leaks and fee hikes had expanded beyond Gen Z, with even school students joining the protests.
Addressing a press conference here, Bhattacharya said the campaign against corruption in education, fee hikes, attacks on university autonomy and the alleged crackdown on student protests had turned into a nationwide movement involving the younger generation.
“The ongoing student movement is no longer confined to Gen Z but has also drawn the participation of Gen Alpha, with school students raising education-related issues,” he said.
Gen Z refers to people born roughly between the late 1990s and around 2010, while Gen Alpha refers to those born between 2010 and 2024, though some definitions vary slightly.
Holding Union Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for the recent lathi-charge on students in Delhi, Bhattacharya said accountability should also be fixed on the Home Minister after the Education Minister.
He further alleged that despite the government’s announcement that it would withdraw the cases, not all cases related to students were being withdrawn.
He said this amounted to a violation of democratic and human rights.
Alleging that the BJP-led NDA government was trying to suppress students’ protests, Bhattacharya asserted that every attempt to crush the nationwide student movement would fail.
He said the movement reflected widespread public support and had also received the backing of workers and other labouring sections of society.
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bhattacharya alleged that his recent video message, in which he spoke about “forgiving” students, appeared to encourage conservative and patriarchal forces against women students under the guise of forgiveness.
He alleged that even a 15-year-old girl had been deliberately targeted. Standing with the younger generation, he said, was essential to protecting democracy and bringing about meaningful reforms in the education system.
The press conference was also addressed by CPI(ML) Liberation’s MLA, Sandeep Sourav, AISA Bihar president Dhananjay and other student leaders.
Sourav, arrested by the Bihar Police in connection with protests in Patna over the NEET paper leak issue, alleged that students and youth across the country were deeply dissatisfied with the policies of the Modi government and were prepared to fight for their rights.
He claimed that attempts were being made to weaken the movement by specifically targeting women students. PTI PKD MNB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.