On Friday, a powerful protest led by the Student Federation of India (SFI) against the new education policy (NEP) implemented by the central government commenced in Kolkata, a city renowned for its contributions to the Bengal Renaissance. With hundreds of student activists from various universities participating in the day-night rally from College Street in Central Kolkata, the protest highlighted the detrimental impact of the NEP on the education of underprivileged students.
Former Vice Chancellor Prof Pabitra Sarkar, Poet Mandakranta Sen, Prof Ambikesh Mahapatra and theatre activist Chandan Sen joined the protest to express their support. They warned against the NEP’s proposed four-year degree program, one-year master’s course, and communalization of the educational system. Prof Sarkar and the other esteemed education figures argued that such alterations would have an adverse effect on students’ future.
The demonstration received a gushing response from the crowd who chanted slogans in support of the cause. The SFI State Committee, led by SFI State Secretary Srijan Bhattacharya, boldly confronted the BJP and TMC governments for their united stance regarding the NEP. Bhattacharya denounced attempts to introduce RSS-backed “Manuwadi” elements to history syllabi and cautioned against crippling students through credit-point based degree programs.
For its part, the state government formed a high-powered committee led by Jadavpur University VC Suranjan Das to review the contents of the NEP and provide its recommendations within the next month.
SFI State President Pratikur Rehman also criticized the TMC government for withholding college body elections and curbing democratic processes, prohibiting students from voicing their opinion. The Student Federation of India (SFI) is a left-affiliated student organisation that serves as the preeminent youth voice in the country, giving India’s youth a platform to realise their political ideals. Through its nationwide campaigns on various social and educational issues, it endeavours to ensure exceptional quality education for all.
