Abhijit Ray
Kolkata:Central Kolkata came to a standstill this afternoon as an estimated 1 lakh students,young aspirants and citizens gathered at the city’s heart to protest the NEET paper leak scandal and the spate of student suicides that followed.
From around 4 PM,roads around the city’s core were choked with people. Protesters said they were members of the”Cockroach Party”.
The crowd also included members and flags of some Left political parties.For hours,slogans,placards and chants dominated the area,bringing traffic to a complete halt.
“Dharmendra Pradhan Istafa Do”and”Tana Sahi Nehi Chalegi”were the loudest slogans echoing through the streets.
Students alleged that the integrity of one of India’s biggest medical entrance exams had been compromised,and that the government’s response so far had been inadequate.
The protest in Kolkata is part of a larger nationwide uproar.
Over the past week,cities including Delhi,Allahabad, Bangalore,Kerala,Manipur,Mizoram,Guwahati and Ranchi have seen massive student demonstrations.
The trigger: reports that the NEET question paper was leaked,followed by news of several students taking their own lives out of despair.
In Kolkata,this is not the first demonstration.Student groups have been holding protests across the city since last week,but today’s gathering was the largest so far.
Addressing the growing anger,the Central Government announced that it would set up a Special Fast Track Court to probe the NEET irregularities and paper leak.
Officials said the investigation would be prioritized to ensure accountability.
However,protesters said that was not enough.Many pointed to visuals from Delhi where police action against student demonstrators drew sharp criticism.
“The way students are being treated in the capital has hurt the sentiment of the entire country,”said one protester.
With roads blocked,public transport delayed and businesses in central Kolkata affected,the protest highlighted how deeply the NEET issue has resonated with youth across the country.
For now,the question remains:will the Fast Track Court and the Centre’s assurance calm the unrest,or will the protests grow bigger in the coming days?.
