AISA activists in BHU detained for protesting against Kapil Sibal !

On 8^th March, Kapil Sibal, Minister for Human Resources Development, visited Benares Hindu University as the Chief Guest of the ‘Deeksha Samaroh’ function. While the university officials and administration were engaged in praising Sibal and seeking favours, AISA activists raised their protest against his policies which are part of the neo-liberal agenda for education.

While raising their demands against the Right to Education bill in its present form and demanding the restitution of campus democracy in BHU, thirty AISA activists were detained by the police. In a campus like BHU, the writ of the administration runs large and the police are regularly used to clamp down on student protest. Curfew prevails inside the campus and students cannot assemble freely nor hold any programmes. Elections to the Student Union have not been held since 1997, although a nominated student council exists which rarely raises the genuine demands of students.

The protesting AISA activists were kept in police detention until the programme was over. The protestors included Comrade Savita, AISA’s District President. Several women comrades also participated in the programme and were arrested.

AISA is committed to taking forward the struggle for campus democracy and against the neo-liberal agenda which seeks to make education a ‘privilege’ available to a very few rather than a right that can be accessed by all.