Student/Youth
AISA National Campaign

In the backdrop of massive scams and corporate loot, intensified crackdown on movements, state repression, and the conviction of Binayak Sen, AISA organised a nation-wide campaign between 11-19 January 2011. The slogan was "NO to rampant corruption, NO to loot of our national resources, NO to state repression." As part of the campaign, on 11th January, rallies and strikes were organised in various campuses. In Kumbakonam of Thanjavur, Tamilnadu, a total strike was observed in the Government Arts and Science College; and the strike was also observed in another college, with the total participation of more than 2000 students. Rallies were held in Delhi University, a dharna and effigy burning was organised in Dehradun, and a protest poetry writing workshop was held in Jamia Millia Islamia. Well-attended conventions against Binayak Sen's conviction were held in Jadavpur University (on 14 January), Gandhi Park in Dehradun (18 January) and Delhi University (19 January). In both Jadavpur and Delhi University, authorities tried to stop the conventions by withdrawing permission, and in Delhi University ABVP goons physically attacked the convention. However due to massive participation of students, teachers and democratic academics and intelligentsia, both the conventions were a great success. In Jadavpur, the convention was addressed by poet Nabarun Bhattachariya, Sabyasachi Deb, Prof. Samantak Das, Prof. Sanjay Mukhopadhyay, Prof. Kunal Chattopadhyay, Dr. Debashis Mukherjee from Forum for Peoples Health and student representatives from other organizations such as FETSU GS Palash Ghosh, Arka Bhaduri from AIDSO, and Chandan Biswas from USDF. In Delhi University, the convention was addressed by a large number of DU faculty, Prof. Jean Dreze, Nandini Sundar, Shamsul Islam, Neeraj Malik, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan and poet Viren Dangwal amongst others. On 19 January, students’ strike was successfully observed in Patna and Magadh University and their affiliated colleges, Tilka Majhi University (Bhagalpur), Bir Kunwar Singh University (Ara), Lalit Narayan Mithila University (Darbhanga). In Bhagalpur, students also gheraoed the senate meeting on the same day which was met with severe police repression and several AISA leaders were framed under false charges. Students continued with the protest on the 20 January also. Police reacted with still greater repression and arrested several AISA leaders and booked five of them under Section 307 of IPC. AISA state leadership has resolved to intensify the struggle all across Bihar against this state terror on democratic students protests.

Liberation Archive