Kolkata, Oct. 5 -- All India Students' Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora on Monday urged Bengal not to remain silent in the face of what she described as attacks on democracy.

Addressing the "Gen Z Movement: Unity of Generations and Resistance" convention at Jadavpur University, Bora said: "When SIR is being crafted to strike at Bengal, at the heart of Bengal, Bengal cannot sit silently." She said Bengal had repeatedly defended progressive thought and democracy and must now defend not only itself but the country and its democratic values.

Bora, who was detained by Delhi Police during a protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday and released later, linked the struggles at Jadavpur University, SRFTI and Jantar Mantar, saying those who had faced violence at these places could understand each other's situation. "If Delhi bleeds, Kolkata is hurt, and if Kolkata bleeds, Delhi will stand up," she said.

She alleged that those in power believed protesters could be "beaten into submission" through violence, referring to the protests at Jantar Mantar and recent incidents at Jadavpur and SRFTI. "They think that by beating us they can bring us to our knees," she said, adding that repeated attacks would not weaken movements rooted in the "legacy of the Left".

Bora criticised the BJP and RSS, alleging they understood only "violence" and "hooliganism" and had little concern for education and employment. She said those in power believed their "hooliganism" had received a democratic mandate. "But now it is clear to everyone that the mandate they received was nothing but a lie," she said.

The convention, organised by Left student organisations including AISA, PDSF and CGPI, raised demands including scrapping NEP 2020 and the National Testing Agency (NTA), protecting school education, opposing SIR and withdrawing ISI Bill.

The programme also triggered an administrative controversy at Jadavpur University. JU Registrar Debjit Dutta reportedly wrote to Vice-Chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharya saying that he had not granted permission for the convention. According to Dutta, he first learnt about the programme through the media on Sunday and no file or information regarding the event had reached his office earlier.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.