Eyeing on the new education policy of the Government, Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) held a ‘Students Parliament’ on different issues related to education at Constitution Club in the capital on 23 July. The programme consisted of four sessions, namely ‘Inaugural Session’, ‘Education under Market Driven Neo Liberal Policies’, ‘Political Economy of Indian Education System’ and ‘Institutionalised Communalisation’. Students from the various corners of the country participated in the parliament and discussed the educational issues with the experts.
The first session was inaugural session addressed by Len Ji, National General Secretary, National Students Union of India; Salimullah Khan, Head, Education Affairs, Human Welfare Foundation and Meeran Haider, leader of Jamia Students Federation.
Criticising the present government and RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh), Len Ji said that student community is being attacked by the Modi government and RSS for raising voice against them. They are trying to keep students from politics. She also took on the Government for cutting budget on education and fellowship that will make impact on our education quality. Describing the issue of Imran, a student of Jamia Millia Islamia who was suspended for raising voice against the administration, she gave an example of attacking students by the administration.
Describing the importance of education, Meeran Haider said that we are not able to elect our right representative unless we are educated. An agitation without education will be harmful to the country and society like Jat and Gujjar agitation. He expressed concern over saffronisation of education and killing of pluralism.
Sharing the views of above mentioned speakers, Salimullah Khan said these things are reality and the world is running away from the reality and running after illusion. He urged students to implement what is being said by the speakers.
In the second session, Prof. M.V. Rajeev Gowda, Member of Parliament, and Javed Jafar, CSR, Hyderabad addressed and discussed with students on ‘Education under Market Driven Neo Liberal Policies’.
Addressing the students, Rajeev Gowda said commercialisation and privatisation of education are very complex issues. One can hardly take a stand on these issues. The real issues are quality and equality of education. He said that globalisation and market forces are exporting our brains. He urged the government to increase the education budget and criticised it for terrible condition of government schools.
Javed Jafar said Market Driven Neo liberal Policies is a moral issue along with it being a political issue. A new political movement is needed to address this issue. There is a need for alternative system to address neo-liberal policies.
In the third session, E.T. Mohammad Basheer, Member of Parliament and Chinmay Mahanand, President, BAPSA, addressed students on ‘Political economy of Indian Political System’.
Basheer said India is facing a critical situation in health and education. Privatisation made impact too much on education. Describing the power of education, he said that society and economy all are controlled by knowledge. On student politics, he said it should not be stopped in campuses but the politics should not make any hurdle in academic activities.
Chinmay said privatisation and commercialisation of education is giving benefit only to ruling class. It is not benefiting oppressed and marginalised communities. The ruling class is not letting to reach education to the oppressed community by privatisation and commercialisation. He also expressed concern over saffronisation and brahmanisation of education in the country.
In the third session, Ashish Khetan, spokesperson of AAP, and Rizwan Quaiser, Professor, Jamia Millia Islamia interacted with students over ‘Institutionalised Communalisation’.
Khetan criticised the Modi government for adopting communal policy in his governance. He said that 30 per cent of the people voted for the Modi government for development but there is an attack on freedom of expression and organised mob violence by right wing groups.
Rizwan Quaiser urged the students, being citizens of the country, to introspect on secularism. He also urged them to be true scholars by practising religion.
In the final note, Iqbal Hussain, President of SIO, urged students to be agents of social changes. He also said no social change can be occurred without education. He emphasised the larger role of student community in social changes. He also criticised the government for non-implementation of RTE effectively and Kothari Commission.