Skip to main content

PUCL urges Jantar Mantar hunger strikers to end fast, backs demands

By A Representative 
The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has appealed to the protesters on hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, including activist Sonam Wangchuk and protesting students, to consider ending their fast while reaffirming its support for their demand that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign over alleged failures in the education system.
In a public statement issued by PUCL President Kavita Srivastava and General Secretary V. Suresh, the civil liberties organisation said it stood in "total solidarity" with the protesters' demands and criticised the Union government's response to the ongoing agitation.
The organisation said it was joining more than 1,821 artistes, writers, academics, social activists and other citizens who had urged the hunger strikers to call off their fast. PUCL alleged that while citizens and several political parties had expressed solidarity with the protest, the Union government had shown "criminal indifference" to the concerns raised by students.
The statement also criticised remarks attributed to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan comparing protesters to a "B team of terrorists," describing the comments as an attempt to delegitimise demands for accountability.
PUCL further criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for remaining silent on the issue, arguing that the government had failed to engage in dialogue with the protesters despite the prolonged demonstration.
Referring to Sonam Wangchuk's reported response to appeals to end the hunger strike, PUCL quoted him as saying: "Don't ask me to end my fast. Ask the government why they won't even have a dialogue."
Expressing concern over the deteriorating health of those on hunger strike, the organisation nevertheless urged them to end their fast, stating that continuing to live would enable them to "fight another day" for educational reforms and constitutional values.
The organisation also appealed to citizens, particularly members of Generation Z, to continue campaigning for accountability over alleged examination paper leaks and to work towards reforms aimed at making the education system more transparent and fair.
The statement was signed by PUCL President Kavita Srivastava and General Secretary V. Suresh.

Comments

Post a Comment

NOTE: Hateful, abusive comments won't be published. -- Editor

TRENDING

The “Dr” debate masks a larger crisis in allied-health education

By Dr P K Gupta*  India’s allied-health professions have long operated in a fragmented landscape of universities, hospitals, State authorities and private institutions, each with its own nomenclature, curriculum and standards. The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 was meant to correct this by creating a unified national framework for education, professional regulation and institutional recognition. Few dispute the need for such oversight. The real question is whether standardisation is quietly becoming synonymous with longer courses, additional internships and new professional titles—changes that risk masking deeper gaps in clinical training, institutional capacity and affordability.
Post a Comment
»

Pilgrimage or pollution? The waste crisis of Indian faith

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  In today's times, there are certain issues that are constantly talked about and discussed, yet no visible impact seems to be made. Beyond water, soil, and pollution, one crisis that continues to be overlooked is waste. Like other life-threatening problems, waste too is gradually moving toward burying and obliterating us. After the Kanwar Yatra in Haridwar, approximately 8,000 tonnes of waste were left behind on the riverbanks, including bottles filled with urine. 
Post a Comment
»

Can cow dung become a source of income? Durga Maida shows the path to self‑reliance

By Vikas Meshram*  In the Sailana block of Ratlam district lies the small village of Govardhanpura. This is where Durga Maida lives with her husband and four daughters. Their livelihood depended on just one bigha of land—far too little to feed a family of six. Growing enough grain for the year was impossible, and even meeting daily expenses was a constant struggle. Alongside farming, Durga kept livestock and took up wage labour whenever she could. Hard work was never lacking, but income always was. Month after month, the accounts failed to balance, forcing her to borrow. Looking back, Durga says those days felt heavy and hopeless; farming offered no promise, and there was no sign of change. Her story mirrored the reality of almost every small farmer in the area.
Post a Comment
»