AISA rallies behind Medha Patkar

ALL INDIA STUDENTS? Association (AISA) activists took out a procession and burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in support of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) on Saturday. The activists submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate for the Prime Minister.

ALL INDIA STUDENTS’ Association (AISA) activists took out a procession and burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in support of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) on Saturday. The activists submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate for the Prime Minister.

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The AISA activists took out the procession and burnt the effigy of the PM on University Road. The procession moved towards the district headquarters with the activists shouting anti-government slogans. The procession terminated at the DM’s office after the activists submitted a memorandum for the PM.

Speaking on the occasion, AISA state president Ramayan Ram said that the Central Government had tried to forcibly suppress the demands of the citizens. The affected residents of the Narmada valley had been demanding compensatory land for rehabilitation for 20 years. The government had never taken their demands seriously despite the Supreme Court’s orders restricting the government from increasing the height of the dam without rehabilitating the affected residents.Social activist Medha Patkar had been charged with suicide bid after she protested against the government.

AISA activists said that they would support the NBA and intensify the stir if the government did not stop harassment of Medha Patkar and her supporters.

Meanwhile, student leader Abhishek Shukla urged HRD Minister Arjun Singh to think over the decision of 27 per cent reservation in a meeting held at the union hall on Saturday. Shukla said that reservation should be applied on the basis of economic conditions of the students and only the deserving candidates should be given reservation.

Student leader Vijay Dwivedi said that the proposal should be re-discussed , otherwise the students would go in for an intense protest.

Those present on the occasion were Pradeep Narayan Dwivedi, Ajay Chaube, Sanjay Sharma, Abhishek Singh, Madhukar Mishra, Rochak Tripathi, Prashant Mishra, Prabhat Rai and many others.

Memo: AU students submitted a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor to inform the V-C that no educational and cultural activities had been organised by the students union due to scarcity of funds. AU Students Union vice-president Brijendra Mishra said that no activities had been undertaken by the union since no funds were available due to controversy involving the AUSU president.

Mishra urged the V-C to resolve the problem and help in developing the talents of the students through the activities organised by the students union.