Patna, June 22: The Students' Federation of India (SFI) has strongly condemned what it described as a "brutal and undemocratic" police crackdown on students protesting in Bihar's Nalanda district against the relocation of a proposed degree college from the district headquarters.
According to SFI, more than 100 students participating in a peaceful demonstration were subjected to a severe police lathi-charge. Several protesters were allegedly beaten, dragged across scorching roads, and forcibly detained while demanding that the college be established at the district headquarters as originally proposed.
Among those arrested were Comrade Kanti Kumari, Bihar State President of SFI, and Savitri Kumari, Nalanda District Secretary of the organization. In total, 39 students were remanded to judicial custody and continue to remain imprisoned three days after the protest, sparking widespread outrage among student organizations and democratic rights groups.
The agitation erupted following the Bihar government's decision to shift the location of the degree college to Lodhipur instead of the district headquarters. Student activists argue that the institution was secured through years of sustained struggle led by SFI and local residents. They allege that the government has ignored public interest and educational accessibility to accommodate the preferences of a local MLA.
In a statement, SFI accused the state administration of suppressing democratic dissent through police force rather than engaging with the legitimate concerns of students. The organization demanded the immediate release of all detained students, withdrawal of cases filed against protesters, and reconsideration of the decision to relocate the college.
SFI leaders reiterated that the movement would continue until the government reverses its decision and ensures that the degree college is established at the district headquarters, making higher education more accessible to students across Nalanda.
The incident has intensified criticism of the Bihar government's handling of student issues and raised fresh concerns over the use of police force against peaceful democratic protests.
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