Students Pledge News Dt 20.03.2022 – The Central trade unions have called for an All India General strike on March 28 and 29. AIDSO and the struggling students of the country extend wholehearted support to the general strike against several anti people policies of Central and State Governments. Expressing his support, the All India General Secretary of AIDSO, Shri Sourav
Ghosh has said: “Since the time of independence, people of all walks of life have been facing severe onslaught of economic, political, cultural attacks both from central and respective State governments. On one hand, even before the people of the country could recover from the painful effects of pandemic, they were being jolted by unprecedented price rise of all essential commodities including petrol and diesel fare and acute loss of income. Around the world, the problems of unemployment, retrenchment, privatization of education have surged. There is unprecedented economic crisis. On the other hand, we are witnessing people’s outbursts against the existing system and the common people are uniting against all odds. We have witnessed the glorious historic farmers’ movement; they have shown and taught us again that people’s movement is the only alternative to fight against all anti-people, pro- corporate, pro-rich policies of the government.
In the same way, the field of education is also not spared. Actually, all the governments which came to power since independence have designed education policies in such a way that it always helped the private mafia and the corporate giants to make huge profits. One such policy is NEP-2020. Even amidst severe criticism and opposition from the educationists, lecturers, students and common people against NEP-2020, the central government ignoring all the opposing views, was hell bent on implementing the policy. NEP-2020 proposes to merge government schools with less number of students into a ‘school complex’ which if brought into action, thousands of schools will be closed in the country. NEP has also brought forth the proposition of a four year degree course plan instead of the time- tested three year course, cunningly raising the deceptive slogan of ‘skill development’ along with academics. But the educationists have expressed their concern over such ‘skill development’ which would ultimately keep students devoid of any scientific thinking, comprehensive knowledge and analytical thinking. NEP proposes free flow of FDI into the education, thus, implicitly intending to build private universities. There are many other such flaws and glaring limitations in the policy. Ultimately, NEP is the blue print of privatization-commercialization- centralisation-communalisation and vocationalisation of education.
While the rulers are amassing huge wealth by plunder and loot, the common people are suffering from hunger and destitution. It is time we unite against such policies, and fight. Along with the fighting workers and peasants, the students, too, should develop militant mass movements against the anti student policies and especially the NEP-2020. So, we appeal to the students community of the country to make the All India General Strike successful.”
