January 19, 2020
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Bihar Students Hold Anti-CAA Protests

Kumar Nishant

PROTEST demonstrations organised by students and youth organisations continue in different parts of Bihar against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).
The protests took off with a student march from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) to Bhagat Singh statue, demanding the withdrawal of CAA, on December 14, 2019, in Patna. The students extended their support to the call given by CPI(M) and other Left Parties for Bihar bandh to be observed on December 19.  The students independently organised protest campaigns and street corner meetings for the success of Bihar bandh and also gave a call for the bandh of educational institutes.
On the day of Bihar bandh, students across the state came on the streets with their flags fluttering high in the air. State secretary Mukul Raj, state president Sailendra Yadav, state secretariat member Nishant, state committee members Dhananjay Sah, Pankaj Verma and other office bearers joined the protest programme in different corners of Bihar covering major centres like Darbhanga, Chapra and Gaya. The police attempted to thwart the protests with lathicharge and arrests of many students. In Lakhisarai, former state president of Students’ Federation of India, Deepak Verma, district secretary Subhash and others were arrested.  The student organisations also extended support to the Bihar bandh call given by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on December 21. Both the bandh calls were answered by a large number of students, youths and the members of civil society, making them a success.
A ‘Students’ Citizen Convention’ was organised at the main gate of Patna University on December 30 and the convention was presided by All India Students Association (AISA) state president Mukhtar and it was addressed by SFI state secretariat member Nishant, AISF leader Sushil, Patna University Students Union treasure Komal Kumari, representatives of AISA, Bhim Army, JACP, AIDSO, DISHA and other student organisations.
Nishant, in his address said that the government is trying to demolish  the basic structure of democracy. He said that the NPR is the first step towards NRC. Further, he said that the CAA, NRC and NPR are a part of the RSS agenda of Hindutva. He added that the government is placing these Acts/Amendments before the citizens of the country to divert their minds from critical issues like unemployment, economic shutdown, inflation and the downfall of education standards. He appealed the students, youths, workers, farmers, members of civil society and others to unite and fight together to defeat these anti-constitutional/anti-democratic forces and to organise protests peacefully.
On December 31, the forum of  ‘Young India, Bihar Chapter’ which includes organisations like SFI, DYFI, AISA, AISF, AIYF, RYA, Bhim Army, DISHA and like-minded students and youths who believe that CAA, NPR, NRC are the attack on the constitution, called for a meeting at the AISA office. The meeting decided to organise a programme to take pledge to defend the Indian constitution. The SFI, AISA, AISF, DYFI, RYF and DISHA jointly organised a programme on January 1, to take pledge to defend constitution under the banner of ‘Young India’. In Patna at Gandhi Statue of Gandhi Maidan, students and youths assembled and read the preamble of the constitution and took the pledge to defend it. Similar activities were conducted in different parts of Bihar.
All the student organisations, barring those affiliated to the NDA, came in support of the general strike on January 8 and participated in a big way. Schools and colleges remained shut and students participated in protest demonstrations and rallies showing solidarity with the working class actions.