ITANAGAR : The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) on Thursday extended its solidarity to students protesting at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi over alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and condemned the reported police lathi charge on demonstrators during the Chalo Sansad march on July 20.
The union alleged that several students and protesters were injured in the police action and said the grievances raised by the protesters should be addressed through dialogue and accountability rather than force.
AAPSU also expressed concern over the continuing hunger strike by Sonam Wangchuk, who it said is undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital, and the ongoing agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The union said the protests reflect the concerns of students and families who have questioned the integrity of the examination process.
In a statement, AAPSU President Meje Taku said, “A student demanding a fair examination system is not an enemy of the state. When the government answers that demand with lathis and tear gas, it is not the students who are failing this country; it is the system that was supposed to protect them.”
He further said that Arunachal Pradesh understands the consequences of ignoring the voices of young people and would not remain silent while students elsewhere in the country were allegedly subjected to force for raising legitimate concerns.
According to AAPSU, Wangchuk has sought accountability over the alleged NEET paper leak, an assurance that the matter will be raised in Parliament and a guarantee that no student or protester will face punitive legal action. The union said these demands, along with the CJP’s call for ministerial accountability, warrant a direct response from the Central government.
“A hunger strike from a hospital bed is not a threat to the nation; it is a mirror held up to it. The government must look into that mirror and respond with dialogue, not silence,” Taku said.
The union cautioned that continued delay in engaging with the protesters could lead to wider public unrest, stating that what began as a protest over one examination could develop into a nationwide movement if the Centre continues to rely on force instead of dialogue.
AAPSU said it has written to the Prime Minister urging immediate talks with the protesting students and Wangchuk. It also warned that if the government fails to respond in a timely manner, the union would be compelled to organise statewide protests across Arunachal Pradesh in solidarity with the demonstrators at Jantar Mantar.
“Let this be clear: if the government does not pay heed in time, this will not remain confined to Delhi. It will spill over, and the country could well see agitations on a scale far beyond what we are witnessing today. Our patience is in solidarity with the students of Jantar Mantar, not with the government’s delay. If dialogue does not begin soon, Arunachal Pradesh will make its voice heard on the streets as well,” Taku said.
AAPSU appealed to the Central government to act with urgency, stating that students deserve answers and constructive engagement.
