Lucknow, BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday backed recent protests by Gen Alpha schoolchildren over basic amenities and infrastructure, saying it is a matter of “great sorrow and concern” that students are being forced to take to the streets to demand facilities needed for elementary education.
Instead of paying adequate attention to improving the government school system, all governments have largely ignored it, Mayawati charged. Uttar Pradesh has witnessed a series of student protests in recent weeks, with schoolchildren taking to the streets and even approaching district collectorates to press for basic amenities, infrastructure improvements and other demands in Lucknow, Kannauj, Unnao, Fatehpur, Hamirpur, Mahoba and Azamgarh, among other places.
She said Gen Alpha students are participating “in large numbers and with full enthusiasm” in the nationwide ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign of the Cockroach Janta Party . “It is a matter of great sorrow and concern that innocent boys and girls, whose days are meant for laughing, playing, reading and writing, are being forced to struggle on the streets even for basic facilities for their elementary school education,” the BSP chief said. Mayawati said education, particularly school education, has always been a matter of special concern for the Bahujan Samaj because of B R Ambedkar’s call to “educate”. Mayawati said the shortage of basic amenities such as school buildings, teachers, drinking water, toilets and cleanliness has now made Gen Alpha highly vocal and led them to launch protests.
