NAGPUR: All India Students' Association (AISA) president Neha Bora on Thursday said the Gen Z movement at Jantar Mantar in Delhi has removed the fear of speaking up among people and forced the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and RSS to reach out to students and youngsters.
She said that over the past decade, there had been fear of speaking out against those in power and questioning the government.
The AISA chief, whose Left-wing student outfit is affiliated with the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, was addressing a gathering of youth and citizens on the topic, "Resistance - Sab Yaad Rakha Jaaega", at Vasantrao Deshpande Hall in Nagpur.
Bora alleged the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) tried to suppress the voice of people who spoke against those in power by labelling them as "anti-national" and "traitor".
The JNU PhD scholar said 17-year-old student Vedant Shrivastava, who brought the mismanagement of the CBSE on social media, was called a "Pakistani" by BJP-RSS people, while tribal students fighting for their rights are often labelled as "urban Naxals".
Bora maintained that the Jantar Mantar protest over the NEET paper leaks, which culminated in the resignation of then-Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in July, has removed people's fear of speaking up, and now the ruling BJP is afraid because of citizens' questions.
"The BJP never imagined how unpopular they had become among young people in the last few months," said the AISA president, who was on a hunger strike for 23 days at Jantar Mantar along with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.
Bora insisted that in a democracy, people should not fear the government.
Instead, the government should fear people's anger and should be held accountable for its acts.
"Today that fear has taken root in the hearts of the BJP and the RSS (and) nothing could be more glorious for this (Gen Z) movement," she stressed.
Bora said Union Home Minister Amit Shah skipped Parliament after Pradhan's resignation and that is what this (Gen Z) movement has achieved.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forced to speak in the Gen Z language and make 30-second Instagram reels, said the student leader.
"RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was compelled to address programmes called 'Dialogue with Gen Z' to seek acceptance among young people.
That is what this movement has achieved," she said.
Bora claimed students and youth in this country don't want to see the BJP in power anymore.
"The BJP has been ruling the country for more than a decade, but unemployment is increasing, and the gap between rich and poor is widening," she opined.
Those in power will be removed not only from Parliament, but also from the hearts and homes of ordinary people, the AISA president added.