21/07/2026
LET'S CONDEMN THE BRUTAL REPRESSION ON INDIAN STUDENT- YOUTH PROTESTERS BY THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT
STATEMENT OF COLOMBO DECLARATION UNITY
We, the South Asian Students' Organisations on behalf of Colombo Declaration Unity, strongly condemn the ruthless atrocities committed against the peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi by the Indian Government. It is the utterly undemocratic tendency of every tyrannical government to crush any legitimate movement. The Indian Government has resorted to this policy in an attempt to break the ongoing nationwide movement against the massive NEET paper leak and the demand for the resignation of the Education Minister.
Despite relentless repression, thousands of students and youth gathered today at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, Delhi, to participate in the Parliament March programme. The students and youth raised their voices against the forceful removal of Sonam Wangchuk, a scientist of international fame, who had been on a hunger strike along with other student activists over the same demands. The thousands of students and youth who assembled there, frustrated by their government's misrule and corruption, had to face brutal attacks today. Through this act, the Government of India has exposed its complete disregard for the student community.
We know that every sphere of people's lives has come under the grip of the imperialist economy. Education is no exception. Big capital is increasingly active in the education market. Once education becomes a capitalist market, large-scale corruption becomes inevitable. Governments backed and fuelled by these forces invariably act as their political managers through the state apparatus. No democratic space is spared by them.
This ugly face of fascism has repeatedly been exposed by governments in different countries. We believe that such authoritarian measures will not be able to suppress the voices of students. The students and youth of India will not stop until they reach their destination.
We, the Colombo Declaration Unity, on behalf of the students and youth of our respective countries, express our firm solidarity with the struggling students and youth of India. We appeal to citizens, including educationists, workers, peasants, and the student community across different countries, to unite and stand against the brutality inflicted on protesting students in India and to build a broad-based mass movement against the capitalist-imperialist onslaught on people's lives, including education.
Issued by -
Mangala Maddumage on behalf of Colombo Declaration Unity.
July 21st 2026