‘Won’t let students’ voices be muzzled’: Sector-17 protest grows

Over 1,000 people from across the Tricity, including representatives from universities, colleges, political parties, and civil society groups, voiced their opposition

The fourth day of the agitation at Sector 17 Plaza saw its largest turnout on Wednesday, with demonstrators demanding accountability for alleged paper leaks in competitive exams and the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Among the parents present was the mother of Aakriti Kaur, a student who had appeared for NEET for the third time this year and failed to qualify. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

Over 1,000 people from across the Tricity, including representatives from universities, colleges, political parties, and civil society groups, voiced their opposition. The independent groups that have anchored the protest since Sunday were joined a day earlier by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).

On Wednesday, student groups from Panjab University, including PSU Lalkaar, Naujawan Bharat Sabha, SFS, Punjabnama, AFDR, Saakhi, SOPU, DISHA, AISA, political science students, and students not associated with any group, joined the demonstration.

Samajwadi Party leaders too made their first appearance at the protest on Wednesday. “We will not let the city’s students’ voices be shut down. They are our future, we’ll fight to protect their basic education rights till the end,” a party leader said.

The All India Democratic Youth Organisation (AIDYO) marked its second day at the site. Its representatives, who had also been part of the “Sansad Chalo” march in Delhi, said there had been no independent investigation into the NEET examination, and that students protesting for their rights had been met with lathi blows. “We don’t have lathis, we don’t have guns, we just want the freedom to have a peaceful protest for our rights,” said AIDYO’s Ravi Aaftab.

The Indian National Students’ Organisation (INSO) was also marking its second day at the protest site, after first marching from Sukhna Lake to Sector 17 on Sunday. Multiple self described “non-political” groups of students, led by advocates and activists, also joined the demonstration, inviting youth from across the city to participate.

A separate candle lighting setup by Kangna and Navya, two doctors from Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical College, Solan, drew its own cluster of attendees. Kangna, however, pointed to the low turnout of doctors at the protest. “It’s appalling how few doctors have actually turned out here, the ones actually affected by this are hardly present,” she said.

Among the parents present was the mother of Aakriti Kaur, a student who had appeared for NEET for the third time this year and failed to qualify. “This exam isn’t a joke. My daughter could have been among the students who took their own lives. The government needs to respect the feelings of students and their hard work,” she said.

Nearly 150 police personnel were deployed at the site as a precautionary measure. Police officials said they were present for vigilance, adding that as long as the protest did not turn violent or cause harm to anyone involved, no action would be taken against the demonstrators.