In Ratiya district of Haryana on August 25th a protest was staged confronting the selling of education by the BJP govt.in the name of the New Education policy. Students assembled from villages of Alika, Kelawa and Malwala.Preceding the rally the students undertook a protest campaign within the villages. They launched a dharna vociferously raised slogans outside the central University gate. Around 700 students were present.
Activists of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Youth Front addressed the gathering. They demanded the re-instatement of retrenched teachers of govt, schools, opening up of all schools closed, Filling of all empty seats prevailing in schools, ,scrapping change in syllabus in name of new education policy,
Leader of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Naujwan Sabha Harpreet Alika spoke about the policy of deliberately closing down government schools and selling education to private mercenaries, literally impoverishing the student community. He gave instances of how many students were walking out of schools. Leader of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Manch Jaskaran Sidhu portrayed how 300 government schools were shut down after the coming of BJP, endangering the future of teachers. He also highlighted how unemployment was reaching a soaring height with the govt.education policy
Most heartening to witness such fierce or determined resistance by the student community to challenge the ruthless education policy of the BJP,which completely backs imperialist designs. It illustrates the spiralling of political consciousness against the pro-rich agenda of the rulers. An organised movement needs to be nurtured to challenge the anti-people education policies and the communalisng of the education system. The student community should never be subdued in undertaking such a path, which do justice to Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar.It was the weakness of an organized movement to challenge privatization of education from the 1990’s in the era of liberalisation, which paved the path for the current anti-student policies.
Harsh Thakor is a freelance journalist who covers mass movements around India
