Hundred of students and youngsters across the country with education and employment on their minds, marched from Jama Masjid in Old Delhi to Jantar Mantar in Central Delhi last Thursday. The Young India Adhikar March was the joint effort of Student Unions and Youth Organisations from various states.
The march was led by some students from Jawaharlal Nehru University, the All India Students Association and Revolutionary Youth Association – with both groups affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) – the march is an attempt to attach, together student and youth campaigns across the country into a common movement like India’s farmers have done.
The students are demanding that all government vacancies should be filled, an increase in public spending on education to 10% of India’s gross domestic product, full implementation of reservations for backward groups, an end to the closures of schools and the underfunding of public education.
They also demanded an end to gender discrimination and sexual harassment in higher education.The participants came from states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Punjab and Assam. In a statement on behalf of the coordination committee, Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president, N Sai Balaji said the youth group will “pass resolutions to actively participate in the upcoming election”.
