THE DHARNA HAS ENDED, NOT STRUGGLE

THE DHARNA HAS ENDED, NOT STRUGGLE

27-JULY-ENG 5

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------The indefinite sit-in protest—organized by Civil Society, Arrah (Bihar) at the Jayaprakash Memorial Open-Air Stage over the past six days—concluded on Sunday with a 'Resolution Meeting' presided over by Yashwant Singh. The protest was held to support student struggles nationwide and to voice opposition against the dismal state of education, paper leaks, threats to the youth's future, curbs on freedom of expression, and an insensitive administrative system.

At the conclusion, attendees observed a two-minute silence to pay tribute to the students who lost their lives due to mental trauma and despair following the NEET paper leak scandal.

Addressing the gathering, speakers remarked that this was not merely a personal tragedy for a few families but an event highlighting the grave challenges facing the education system. A transparent, accountable, and student-centric system is essential to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

The closing meeting included a review of the entire journey of the movement. Speakers emphasized that the movement was not aimed at opposing any specific individual or political party; rather, it was an effort to place issues of public concern—such as democracy, education, and the future of the youth—at the forefront. Throughout the sit-in, the movement was given an ideological and cultural dimension through the recitation of protest poetry, public dialogues, discussions on the role of intellectuals, and deliberations on various social issues.

The keynote address delivered by Madhu Kumari during the closing session was adopted as the official document of the sit-in. It outlined a future action plan incorporating elements such as public dialogue campaigns, monitoring of the education system, active youth participation, cultural resistance, and civic accountability. The attendees unanimously resolved that while the sit-in was concluding, social dialogue, public awareness campaigns, and constructive interventions regarding issues of public interest would continue unabated.

It was also stated at the meeting that no single administrative or political decision could be considered the ultimate achievement. The true objective is to build a system where the future of students is secure, the credibility of examinations is maintained, peaceful civic dissent is respected, and the governance system becomes more accountable to public sentiment. The meeting was conducted by Ashok Manav, while Vijay Mehta presented a comprehensive overview of the movement—from its inception to its conclusion—before the gathering.

Notable attendees at today's meeting included Aarti Verma, Ranju Devi, Neeta Singh, Mantu Singh, Mamta Kumari, Rupa Kumari, Shivani Kumari, Vashinka Kumari, Saraswati Paswan, Sunil Yadav, Renu Kumari, Rajiv Ranjan Kumar, Gautam Kumar, Manoj Yadav, Mulayam Yadav, Kush Singh, Sanjeev Pandey, and others.

At the conclusion of the event, all participants took a collective pledge to remain actively engaged in upholding constitutional values, fostering peaceful public participation, and protecting democratic rights.