When the Left-aligned student groups joined the CJP-led protest, they were drawn into the fold organically, said parties’ functionaries

NEW DELHI: It must qualify as a striking case of maximising one’s returns on meagre capital. Disproportionate to its marginal presence in Parliament and anaemic strength on the ground, Left parties successfully leveraged AISA, SFI and AISF, which have active units in Delhi, to pressure govt to give into the demand of getting Dharmendra Pradhan to resign as education minister.In fact, AISA members, president Neha Bora and Manish Kumar and Ameen Amitoj, despite having no prior association with Abhijeet Dipke, sat on a 23-day hunger strike in solidarity with the students.The victory of their student outfits, which made common cause with those sections of Gen Z, who are usually not receptive to their “class warfare” trope, could act as a compensation of sorts for the Left in an electorally bleak season, marked by routs in Kerala and West Bengal.

Earlier, in another instance of them successfully using their tactical intelligence, the Left, through its farmers’ wings, influenced the protests in Punjab against farm sector reforms laws enacted by Modi govt, which had to junk them.If AISA, SFI and AISF were a vocal presence throughout the protest, their mother outfits CPI(ML), CPM and CPI, in that order, complemented the effort on the ground by goading the opposition to support the CJP-led protests.According to Left functionaries, who have been part of the demonstrations, when the Left-aligned students groups joined the students’ protest led by CJP, they were drawn into the fold organically and not perceived as people just jumping in for credit as these students have been raising issues around the flaws in the examination system and the challenges through their unions.All 15 MPs belonging to the Left joined the students to protest the police action against them during the march to Parliament on July 20. They also ensured there was no dilution of the demand for Pradhan’s resignation.CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya agreed that the success of the protests has given the Left a fillip. “This movement has re-energised ongoing struggles across the country for democracy, justice, and the defence of the Constitution.” He called upon INDIA bloc to carry the energy, resolve, and democratic spirit of this movement into Parliament and intensify the struggle for affordable and quality education for all.CPM general secretary M A Baby said Pradhan’s resignation was the first step. “Congratulations to Abhijeet Dipke and CJP, to SFI, AISF, AISA, and lakhs of students and young people for their courage and determination which has won this historic victory. We demand comprehensive reform: scrap NTA! Take back NEP!” CPM said.“It is a rare moment of democratic accountability, achieved not through the goodwill of an arrogant govt, but through the sustained struggle of students and youth across the country. The students’ movement has defeated the arrogance of BJP and compelled the Modi-Shah regime to answer for its failures,” CPI general secretary D Raja said.