AISA reports on police brutality, illegal arrests and violence across the country! Reject compromised solutions to paper leaks! Demand strucural accountability!
On 28th July, AISA held a press conference at the Press Club of India after visiting the people affected by police brutality and illegal arrests. AISA All India President Neha had visited Bihar and activists of AISA Delhi, AISA Bengal and AISA Jharkhand had reported from respective states on a wide array of police atrocities committed on the protesters. In the press conference, AISA All India President Neha and AISA DU Secretary Anjali presented the report.
On Police Brutality and Illegal Arrests:
BIHAR:
There has been unprecedented overreach by the Police personnel in Delhi, Bihar, Assam and West Bengal. Neha had met with the student leaders arrested at Bihar’s Beur Jail including MLA Sandeep Saurabh, former JNUSU President Dhananjay, AISA Bihar Secretary Dipankar and Patna University activists Divyam and Saba along with RYA leaders Vishal Yadav, Pawan Kushwaha and others. Neha met 2 injured students and Patna’s Medanta hospital who were attacked by the Police in Siwan. One has a serious shoulder injury and another will need a rod placed in his left leg to walk again. Bihar DGP Vinay Kumar in meeting with Neha has said that over 600 people were arrested out of which only 355 have been released as of now. Over 300 are still naguishing in jail. In Bihar we have seen firing of AK-47 and pistols on protesters along with
WEST BENGAL:
The shameless Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikary has told that adding to the 16 arrests as of now, there remain 70+ FIRs awaiting action by the state. West Bengal government has also not issued the statement withholding FIRs like other states.
DELHI:
While Delhi Police has stated that 2873 men have been identified who have criminal antecedents and were present at the protest, it’s response in Delhi has been highly profiled and targetted at vulnerable communities. It has come to our notice that in Jamia Nagar, people are being sent notices based on retina and face scanning for their presence at Jantar Mantar. AISA Jamia has issued a helpline for legal aid in the matter.
AISA leaders have also met with Prashant and Irshad, victims of pellet gun use in Delhi. Irshad has been on risk of permanent blindness while Prashant’s arms and torso has been briddled with pellet injuries. While there are no active detentions reported in Delhi as of now, some questions need to be asked: who ordered the use of pellet guns? Who were the people in civil clothes beating up students on 20th July? Why were hundreds of RAF personnel present at RML hospital when injured students went to file MLCs?
The Examination Reform: Band aid for a heart attack!
COMPOSITION OF THE STF:
The whole STF is made up of people outisde of education expertise. The majority of the body is composed of bureaucrats, an IB Chief and the architect of the Aadhaar debacle, Nandan Nilekani. Outsourcing the problem to bureaucrats is a recipe for disaster.
IGNORANCE OF THE CORE ISSUE:
The NEP 2020 and NTA have seriously overcentralised and commercialised the process of examinations. A whole process done by an un-accountable agency, carried out by outsourced private firms and run like a business model is what results in leaks through state backed criminal agents.
SIDETRACKING OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
From the staff cleanse of NTA in 2024 to the firing of CBSE Chief in 2026, this government has tried to back out of accountability time and again. The proposal of fast track courts can only hope to identify and punish lowly criminals while the state agents and brokers retain immunity.
Concerns Regarding Today’s Court Order:
On 28th July, the Supreme Court has ordered an SIT on the violence in Delhi. The court has also stated that people without ‘criminal antecedents’ to be released immediately. This has caused serious concern.
Does ‘criminal antecedents’ contain an causal relationship with criminal activity at the protest? Of the several student and youth leaders arrested, most will have cases against them for other protests, does this mean they will continue to languish in jail?
These concerns demand immediate reckoning for a democratic process to be ensured.
The press conference concluded with the following demands:
- Release of all protesters unconditionally
- Hold Amit Shah and state Home Ministries accountable for use of pellets, pistols and AK-47 on students
- Provide compensation to all injured by police brutality
- Scrapping of NTA
- Repeal of NEP 2020
Movement continues! Release all protesters!
AISA
