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NEW DELHI: BJD president and Odisha Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Sunday urged the government to initiate a meaningful dialogue with students who have been peacefully protesting for days, saying such engagement was essential to restore faith in democracy and the country’s education system.In a post on X, Patnaik said the students must be given a platform to express their concerns and called for dialogue rather than silence. “A vibrant democracy advances through dialogue, not silence—and this dialogue is most vital when it involves the youth of the nation,” he said.The BJD chief also called for the issue affecting millions of students across the country to be taken up in Parliament as a matter of the highest priority. He said a thorough debate should lead to concrete reforms to ensure that paper leaks, flawed assessments and systemic failures are not repeated, while accountability must also be fixed for the breach of trust.“Politics aside, I urge the government to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the students who have been peacefully protesting for days. They must be given a platform to express their views,” Patnaik said.He said the credibility of the examination system was central to the future of the country, warning that a failure to protect its integrity could undermine the belief that hard work and merit can help deserving students build a better future.“For millions of children in our country, education remains the only path to a brighter future,” Patnaik said, adding that India’s education system had produced generations of doctors, scientists, engineers, teachers and innovators who had contributed to the country’s development.He said the crisis went beyond a failed examination and had damaged public trust in the foundations of the education system. “A nation that compromises the integrity of its examination system, compromises its own future,” he said.Patnaik concluded by saying that sincere and open-minded engagement with peaceful youth protesters could help restore faith in democracy, education and the leadership responsible for shaping the future of young Indians.“@bjd_odisha stands firmly with the youth and students of the country,” he said.
