Assam: SFI Hunger Strike Enters Fifth Day Demanding Independent Enquiry of ‘Paper Leak’ Case

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) is struggling valiantly against the Secondary Education Board of Assam (SEBA) and the education department of Assam. SFI has been on hunger strike in Guwahati for five days now demanding an independent enquiry under a retired judge into the paper leak case that rocked the state recently. The SFI also demands the removal of the secretary and the chairman of SEBA along with the resignation of Ranoj Pegu, the Education Minister of Assam. 

This year, in the class X board examination, the only one that SEBA conducts in a year, there have been unprecedented anomalies. Two papers have been declared cancelled as they were leaked and the dates rescheduled. On March 12, students and parents found out at night that the General Science exam to be conducted on March 13 had been cancelled. By the time the news came out, many students had gone to sleep. The cancellation followed a paper leak, but not the first one this year. On March 16 as well, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma tweeted at around 10 p.m. about the cancellation of the Assamese language paper. 

Earlier, at the Ganirgram Examination Centre in Cachar district, the English examination was cancelled due to a similar incident. The story does not end here. The first paper of the class X board was reported to have been leaked within a few minutes of the start of the exam. Again, for the second paper, a leak was reported within a few minutes of the start of the exam, according to the Assamese media outlets. The SEBA did not respond to these claims before the cancellation order on March 12. 

Notably, the series of incidents led to widespread public discontent with a demand for the resignation of Mr Pegu and the removal of SEBA’s chairman and secretary. All the opposition political parties were a part of the protest, along with student organisations including SFI and All Assam Students’ Union (AASU). SFI’s indefinite hunger strike has provided an extra dimension to the protests. 

Sangita Das, the state secretary of SFI Assam and Harshajit Das, the State president were among the top leaders to sit in the hunger strike since March 20. When this report was being written, Sangita’s health further deteriorated, as told by Himangshu, an SFI activist present at the strike. Along with Sangita, SFI state committee members Dewan Iftikhar Hussain, Moinul Haque Talukdar, state president Harshajit Das and others witness deteriorating health conditions with many amongst them in bed under the strict observation of a doctor. 

Speaking to NewsClick, Sangita Das told in her feeble voice, “we are surprised to see that the government is so non-serious on this serious issue. On one hand, they tell about elevating Assam to the top five states of the country, and on the other hand, they appear so non-serious about the paper leak issue. Can any state prosper without a robust education system?”

“When students came out to the streets with their demands, police lathi-charge them. They are students 15-16 years old. The government can’t answer their question and sends police to beat them up,” she added. 

Sangita further said that the hunger strike is gaining support from other organisations. “This has strengthened us more. And we are not going to step back an inch from our demands,” she said.

Sangita Das, State Secy. SFI Assam in her deteriorating health condition.

Harshajit Das told NewsClick that the government has shown total insensitivity by not showing any desire to talk to those who are on hunger strike, even after many have gotten ill. “SFI will not step back till the demands are met,” Das said.

Several other organisations like the Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad and other individuals have gone on the hunger strike to show their solidarity. Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M) MLA from the Sarbhog constituency Manoranjan Talukdar, veteran left leader Hemen Das, ex-MP Uddhab Barman, Civil society leader Paresh Malakar etc. also showed their solidarity with the members of SFI.

At the site of the hunger strike, SFI organised “Swahid Divas” (martyrdom day) on March 23 on the occasion of the 92nd death anniversary of Bhagat Singh. Students and activists from several colleges and schools participated in the programme.