In a demonstration against what they deemed “anti-student policies” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments in Tripura and the Centre, leaders and activists affiliated with the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and Pradesh Youth Congress took to the streets in Agartala on Friday.
Their protest centred around the demand for the revocation of the controversial ‘Vidyajyoti Scheme’ by the Tripura government.
The demonstrators, congregating at Sikhsha Bhavan, asserted that the Vidyajyoti Scheme, along with the National Education Policy 2020, posed a significant threat to the foundations of education.
Vidyajyoti Scheme of Government of Tripura and National Education Policy of the Central Government are posing serious challenges before of the students, alleged agitating leaders.
Shahjahan Islam, a prominent leader of the Youth Congress, expressed their concerns to reporters, emphasizing that “Education is the birthright of every citizen, and the BJP’s policies aim to deprive citizens of this fundamental right through the privatization of the education sector.”
Drawing attention to the plight of students, the protestors underscored the grim reality of schools brought under the Vidyajyoti Scheme.
They described these institutions as lacking basic infrastructure and sufficient teaching staff, resulting in myriad challenges for students, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
“The burden on students from less affluent families is unbearable,” one protestor lamented.
“They struggle to pay exorbitant fees, with board exam candidates being charged anywhere from Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 annually, in addition to the yearly fees ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000”, agitators alleged.
The demonstrators accused the Tripura Pradesh BJP of betraying its promise of “free education for all,” a commitment that was enshrined in the Vision Document of 2018. Instead, they argued, the ruling party has turned education into a profit-driven enterprise.
NSUI leaders did not spare criticism for BJP ministers either, singling out Ratan Lal Nath, the former education minister, and Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, who also holds the education portfolio.
They lambasted the “unilateral and questionable decisions” of these ministers, claiming that such actions were creating a chasm between education and the common citizens, contrary to the pursuit of development.
