Chennai: Students and professors have assembled at the Communist Party of India (CPI), T Nagar office in solidarity with the students’ movement at Jantar Mantar, Delhi. Protestors here carried signage and pictures of Delhi students being manhandled, while chanting ‘Ban NEET’ and ‘Inquilab Zindabaad’. The sit-in protest that began on Monday night is organised by All India Students’ Federation (AISF) and Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), Tamil Nadu.Aneesh Vinayak, a member of CJP TN, said protestors spent the night on the premises, with many even logging into work with their laptops while protesting in the morning. “Protestors have come with their families and children. Students are frustrated by the system and want accountability. We will continue the sit-in till our demands are met: the release of environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, resignation of education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and compensation for the families of the students who died.”AISF members said police denied permission to protest anywhere. “That’s when we decided to organise it in our office premises,” said CPI branch secretary Divyadarshini K. While the gathering saw social activists and advocates, first-time protestors thronged in scores. Nasreen M*, 26, an English professor, who attended a protest for the first time, said she was moved by the students’ movement. “I couldn’t sleep all night. I have always wanted to use my voice for a cause, but I was hesitant. When I saw that this protest was happening, I couldn’t stay away. As an educator, I’m ashamed to agree that the system has failed our students and we need a people’s movement to fix it.”Individual student groups are stepping in to express support, too. OneLeak Chennai, an education reform group, will organise a public discussion forum on July 25 to discuss ongoing NEET leak issues in hopes of initiating dialogue. The event will be attended by advocates and social activists.
