When a student union from the far northeast of India speaks up for students sitting on the streets of New Delhi, it tells you something important — this NEET fight is no longer regional. It’s everyone’s.
Solidarity From the Hills
The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) came out strongly on Thursday in support of the ongoing NEET protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. The union didn’t just issue a statement of sympathy — it condemned, pointblank, the reported police lathi-charge on demonstrators during the Chalo Sansad march that took place on July 20. That kind of forcefulness from a student body in Arunachal Pradesh is hard to ignore. AAPSU made it clear that what is happening on the streets of the capital is not just Delhi’s problem — it belongs to every student in this country.
The Human Cost Behind the Protest
At the heart of this agitation is a deeply personal wound. Lakhs of students and their families — many of whom sacrificed years of hard work and savings — are living with the suspicion that the NEET examination was compromised. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is currently undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital while continuing his hunger strike, has become a symbol of that pain. AAPSU pointed to his deteriorating condition and the relentless protests as proof of just how deeply this crisis runs. A hunger strike doesn’t happen in comfort. It happens when people feel they have no other choice.
Words That Cut Through
AAPSU President Meje Taku didn’t mince words. He said that students who are only asking for a fair examination system should never be treated as threats to the state. His statement — that when the government answers that demand with lathis and tear gas, it is the system that is failing, not the students — is the kind of line that sticks. It’s honest. And honestly, it needed to be said.
The Demands on the Table
AAPSU has written directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for immediate dialogue with the protesting students and Wangchuk. The demands being pushed are clear: accountability for the alleged NEET paper leak, a parliamentary discussion on the matter, and an assurance that no student or protester will face legal action for raising their voice. These aren’t radical demands. They are the bare minimum any democratic government owes its youth.
A Warning the Centre Shouldn’t Dismiss
AAPSU warned that if New Delhi continues to stay silent, the protests could widen — and the union didn’t rule out calling for state-level agitations across Arunachal Pradesh. That’s not an empty threat. Student bodies across the Northeast have historically turned words into action. The Centre would do well to remember that silence is not a strategy. The students are still waiting. And they are not going anywhere.
HASHTAGS
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