On 7 June, black flags were shown to UP CM Yogi Adityanath by students in Lucknow University. The students were protesting the UP government’s inaction and complicity in the Saharanpur anti-Dalit carnage, increasing assaults on women, attacks on minorities, undeclared moratorium on jobs, crackdown on livelihood and employment opportunities through slaughter house ban. They were protesting against Modi-Yogi governments and raising their voices against the privatisation of education and misuse of University’s funds for organising a political event in Lucknow aimed at pushing the RSS’ agenda of saffronization in the campus. As an attempt to silence and intimidate these protests, serious charges were filed against protesting students and 14 students arrested.
The Chief Minister Yogi’s fleet was blockaded and shown black flags in front of the Lucknow University when he was on way to attend ‘Hindavi Swaraj Diwas’ on 7 June. (‘Hindavi’ is a term originally coined by Shivaji in 1645 in the context of Hindu-Muslim unity, and was also used by Tilak as a synonym to ‘Indian’ or ‘Hindustani’ during freedom movement. The word Hindavi got replaced by more popular words like Hindustani in course of time and was not in common usage. This term was never in history ever used or defined as a replacement of the word Hindu which now RSS-BJP establishment is trying to propagate by distorting history.)
Students gathered under the banners of AISA, SFI, Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha (SCS) and raised their voices against the misuse of funds (about Rs. 25,00,000) meant for students on a programme organised only to appease Yogi and to serve the Sanghi agenda of saffronising the campus. They shouted slogans such as ‘Yogi go back’ and ‘Down with Yogi’ and said that such programmes must not be held because they will not in any way enrich academic life inside or outside the campus, students’ funds are being misused and the CM, who is not taking action against perpetrators of atrocities on dalits, women and other sections and is busy propagating a communal divisive agenda through its decisions like ban of slaughter houses, should keep away from the University. They said that this event inside campus is meant to serve the covert agenda of the ruling party.
The much publicised rhetoric of ‘demographic dividend’ and ‘youth power’ might not have come to the mind of CM Yogi when he watched students being brutally beaten up by the police already present in very large numbers at the spot. On the contrary, the chief minister could not digest the right of the students to peacefully demonstrate in front of him. This is evident by the treatment given to them and the events that followed. The 14 students were arrested and taken to the police station, and for reasons known to the administration they were unnecessarily shifted from one thana to another till next morning when they were sent to prison after imposing very harsh criminal sections including ‘7th Criminal Law Amendment Act’. It is shameful on the part of the UP government that protesting students were illegally jailed under sections of law which are meant for the hardened criminals. The protesting students should have been released immediately as they were enjoying their constitutional right to protest, under no circumstances this could have been not more than a bailable offense if this was at all considered an offense by an intolerant government.
But the vengeful treatment meted out to students did not stop here. Within two days the Lucknow University administration snatched away the victimised students’ right to education by suspending them from the university. And the judiciary rejected bail plea of students on the ground that it was opposed by the UP government. Generally, right to avail bail is everybody’s legal right which should not be denied in such cases. Those who are acquainted with the norms and functioning of our legal system know well that when a bail plea is denied by a lower court, it can take even months for the bail appeal to be heard in a higher court. The wait may be much longer if one had to approach to the High Court. This will also impose a heavy financial burden of legal expenses and jeopardise the careers of all arrested students. The Yogi Government may think he is ‘teaching students a lesson’ not to protest – but students are determined to teach Yogi a lesson or two about the consequences of attacking democracy.
The arrest of students has led to nationwide condemnation of the BJP government’s growing assaults on students’ democratic rights and several protests have been held demanding release of the students.
Massive Mashaal Juloos taken out in Hazratganj
On 12 June, under the banner of ‘Forum Against Oppression’ (Daman Virodhi Morcha), a huge number of common students, youth, members of AISA, SFI, Samajwadi Chatra Sabha and several other student organisations, other progressive and democratic organisations and forums and individuals took out a massive Mashaal Julooos (Torch-light rally) from Vidhan Sabha to G.P.O. Hazratganj. As the mashaal juloos progressed, loud and passionate slogans against the dictatorship of Yogi and the agenda of saffronising the campuses reverberated in the air. The mashaal juloos took the form of a massive public meeting in Hazratganj where it was declared that if the arrested students are not released and the charges against them not withdrawn, then in the days to come a more intensified movement along with students of other universities across the state and the country would be launched.
Earlier, AISA called for a nationwide protest day on 10 June on this issue, while a dharna was held in Lucknow jointly by many students and youth organisations.
Left parties including CPI(ML), CPI(M) and CPI have protested the vengeful and illegal arrest of students and held a protest sit-in in Lucknow on 8 June. They have demanded to withdraw all cases against the students and their suspension be revoked by the university. The CPI(ML) UP state unit has termed this act of Yogi government utterly immoral, inhuman and a mockery of justice. The arrests have been made with malicious intent and for the reason that those students belong to different ideology than the ruling party and disagree with many decisions and functioning of the Yogi government. The students have used their democratic right to protest. The party will campaign against these arrests throughout the state and will also raise this issue in its maha-dharna scheduled to be held on 15 June in Lucknow.
A CPI(ML) team including central committee member Krishna Adhikari, Ramesh Singh Sengar and RK Sinha visited Lucknow district jail to meet the arrested students.
AISA Protest at UP Bhawan, Delhi
Students from DU, JNU and JAMIA gathered at UP Bhawan and staged a protest against the reign of terror in UP on the behest of Yogi Government. They demanded the immediate release to the 14 students who are jailed and against whom several charges have been filed. Addressing the students, Com. Sucheta De, National President of AISA said, “From day one of coming to power the Yogi government in UP has been attacking the constitutional values. It has let loose his people to openly attack the Dalits, Minorities and anyone who dare to raise a voice against him. This is evident from the attack on Dalits in Saharanpur and the subsequent filing of cases against Bhim Army leader Chandrashekhar Azad. And now with the filing of cases against the 14 students the government has made it clear that anyone who is speaking for the dalits or wants to protest against the government will be sent behind bars.” She added, “It has become a trend that anyone protesting against the policies of the government will either be sent behind bars or branded as anti-national or will be shot dead by the police. This is evident from the recent killing of the farmers by the BJP government in MP. We demand the immediate release of the 14 students and the withdrawal of cases against them.”
The protest was also addressed by the JNUSU President, Mohit Pandey who said, “What else can one expect from the government whose chief minister has a history of spewing venom against the Dalits and the minorities of the country. It is really shameful that the government is not branding everyone who protests against them as Naxalites and what not. We have seen this in JNU and we are seeing the same with the Bhim Army and the students of Lucknow University who protested against Yogi. If the government thinks that it can just carryout with the attacks without opposition then it is wrong. We and the entire democratic and peace-loving people of the country will give a tough resistance to the Yogi government.”
The protest was also joined by the members of the Joint Action Committee that was formed by the students of various universities of Delhi. BASO, BAPSA, United OBC forum of the JNU was also a part of the protest.
Effigy of Modi burnt in Begusarai
In Begusarai, a protest was called by AISA and the effigy of the Prime Minister Modi was also burnt. The students demanded release of the 14 students arrested along with release of Bhim Army’s Chandrashekhar Azad. The AISA leaders addressing the protest pointed out how the government that was yet to ensure justice to Dalits of Saharanpur, was instead busy in witch hunt of their leaders. They expressed solidarity with students of Lucknow University who had shown the courage to raise their voice against injustice to the Dalits and also against misuse of campus funds for furthering the agenda of the Sangh.
AISA protest in Punjab University
In Chandigarh, AISA activists from PU protested against the arrest of Lucknow University students, Bhim Army’s Chandrashekhar Azad and the firing on farmers in Madhya Pradesh. The students locked gate no. 1 of the university and raised loud slogans against the Modi government. Addressing the protest, the president of the PU unit of AISA, Com. Vijay Kumar said that the model of development of the Modi government was being built by killing the poor and the farmers, sending students to jails and unleashing lathicharge on youth demanding employment. The anti-Dalit, anti-farmer and anti-student character of the Modi government has become more and more clear. The protestors demanded release of the students and Chandrashekhar Azad and a judicial investigation into the Mandsaur firing.
Pricol Workers demand release of students
Pricol Workers too observed National Protest Day. They demanded Justice for Saharanpur and immediate release of Lucknow University Students and Chandrashekhar Azad.
