Students, academicians to hit the streets against Modi

After workers, peasants and youth hit the streets against the Narendra Modi government, it is now the turn of students and academicians to take on the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

A "broad platform" of students, teachers, university employees and civil society organisations will organise a march on February 19 next year on the slogan 'Save Campus, Save Education, Save Nation'.

The organisers said that the Modi government has been attacking the independence of universities and trying to communalise campuses. They said they will be mobilising thousands of people across the country for the march.

After the Central Committee meeting of CPM, its general secretary Sitaram Yechury announced his party's support for the march, which will be coming a month after trade unions's two-nationwide strikes on January 8-9.

Several farmers and agricultural workers' organisations have already announced their support for the strike.

The students' march is seen as part of a series of mobilisation by the Opposition ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to unitedly taken on Modi-led BJP.

The Opposition parties have supported a series of agitations in the recent past.

On September 5, the CPM-leaning All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) organised a Parliament March, which was supported by the Congress and other parties.

On September 10, Opposition parties have called for 'Bharat Bandh' against fuel price hike.

On November 3, youth organisations of various parties had conducted a joint march in Delhi on the issue of unemployment while farmers under 200 organisations gathered in Delhi and marched to the Parliament seeking a special session to address their concerns.

On its part, the CPM will also be organising protests focusing on the issue of growing unemployment and to intensify the struggles against agrarian distress.