Criticising the central government over its handling of ongoing student protests over examination paper leaks, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday alleged that India’s education system was facing a deep crisis.
“The Modi government routinely uses violence in preference to dialogue. The pattern is clear, from farmers to activists,” the veteran leader wrote in an article for The Hindu, shared by the Congress party on X.
In her column, titled ‘An Education System’s Collapse, Young India’s Trauma,’ she stated that student protests against examination paper leaks and problems in the education system had gained momentum across the country, adding that their demands were focused on accountability and reforms.
Claiming that the Centre’s response had been excessive, she wrote, “The Narendra Modi government has responded to their courage with cowardice and wanton cruelty, treating them not as inheritors of the future but as enemies of the nation.”
Talking about the ‘Chalo Sansad’ march of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on July 20, Sonia Gandhi said that security forces used force against protesting students. “The Delhi Police and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) sought to suppress them with uncalled-for violence, using brutal lathicharges and tear gas,” she wrote.
She added, “These are our sons and daughters, our young men and women”.
She further stated that the central government “routinely uses violence in preference to dialogue.”
“The pattern is clear, from farmers to activists,” she added.
The Congress leader later went on to raise concen over public education, examination reforms and accountability mechanisms, claiming that declining investment in public education, increased dependence on private institutions as well as problems within the examination system had placed additional pressure on students and families.
Moreover, she has slammed the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA), questioning its accountability. She claimed that all the reforms recommended by parliamentary committees had not been adequately addressed.
“The Modi government has not just degraded India’s education landscape but has also made a habit of acting with utter impunity, supreme self-delusion, and abject insensitivity,” she wrote.
She added, “India’s students have called the Modi regime’s bluff. It is our moral, political, and constitutional duty to stand with them and safeguard their future.”