Neha Bora, national president of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) feels Friday’s Jantar Mantar protests is not an isolated call centred on the national Capital but the one that will echo throughout the country and resonate with more people. In a conversation with HT, Neha shares her insights into the central focus of the protests adding that the demand for accountability is a wildfire spreading across the country. Edited excerpts:
What is the central focus of Friday’s mobilisation, Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, Special Intensive Revision (SIR), or the larger question of electoral accountability? What is your stance on the morality of his resignation? Shouldn’t it already have been tendered? What is your larger view on how the system has been working, in terms of accountability and responsibility? The BJP-RSS system, from day one, has been very clear on how they will never be accountable or responsible for their actions. The government that once proudly declared that there would be more resignations under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has been forced to accept only one resignation thus far. That was a resignation which was forced by the streets. Not just this resignation, but the removal of the entire BJP government, which is keen on attacking the Constitution and democracy of India, will also be brought about by the streets. Has anyone from the government reached out? The government considers itself to be above and beyond the scope of law and accountability. In the same pattern, they continue to be silent and unresponsive to demands for answers from the common people of this country. If, for the past week, Jantar Mantar has been barricaded and closed to the common people of this country, then it shows that this government is in fear of the people. They are trying to prevent the protest to prevent this movement from building up. But across the country, we can see that people are not just educated on this issue, but are agitated and willing to organise the resistance to this fascist onslaught on democratic institutions.
You are back on the streets after the earlier protests.
