New Delhi, 14 September (H.S.):

Dr Aditya Narayan Mishra, who has served as president of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) three times, along with several academicians and intellectuals, joined the Congress on Monday.

At a programme organised at the Congress headquarters, Delhi Pradesh Congress in-charge Qazi Nizamuddin, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav and national chairman of the party’s Scheduled Caste Department, Rajendra Pal Gautam, formally welcomed the new members into the party by draping them with party scarves.

After joining the Congress, Dr Aditya Narayan Mishra said he had joined the party to strengthen the hands of Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. He said Rahul Gandhi has consistently raised his voice against what he described as systematic attacks on institutions of higher education and the public education system.

Mishra said he had joined the Congress to become part of the struggle to protect publicly funded educational institutions and ensure social justice and equality in education for people from all sections of society. He alleged that thousands of primary and secondary schools were being shut down across the country and that higher education was now heading towards a similarly serious crisis.

Welcoming the new members, Rajendra Pal Gautam said Dr Mishra and his colleagues had taken the step with a commitment to protect the Constitution, democracy and public education. Gautam alleged that large amounts of money were being spent at Delhi University on programmes associated with the ruling ideology, whereas the same funds could have been used to build hostels and provide basic facilities for students.

He said education had been made so expensive that obtaining higher education had become extremely difficult for ordinary and economically disadvantaged families.

Delhi Pradesh Congress president Devender Yadav said Dr Aditya Narayan Mishra’s extensive academic and organisational experience would help guide young people and students in the right direction.

Meanwhile, Delhi Pradesh Congress in-charge Qazi Nizamuddin said that students and teachers today had to face police action on the streets and make repeated visits to police stations to fight for their rights. He said that in such circumstances, the association of eminent academicians with the Congress would provide greater ideological strength to the struggle for the right to education.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar