Abhijeet Dipke, Dharmendra Pradhan (PTI images)
NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janata Party chief Abhijeet Dipke on Friday wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to provide ₹1 crore in compensation to the families of students who allegedly died by suicide amid the ongoing paper leak crisis.In the letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Dipke expressed concern over what he described as a growing mental health and education crisis among students facing uncertainty over examinations and re-examinations. “I am writing to you today with a heavy heart, to bring your urgent attention to an escalating crisis that threatens the very future of our nation – the lives and mental well-being of our young students,” Dipke wrote. Claiming that several student deaths had occurred in recent weeks, he said, “Over the recent weeks, we have tragically lost 11 young students to suicide. Most alarmingly, five of these heartbreaking losses occurred within the last 48 hours.”Dipke alleged that the pressure created by repeated examination controversies and re-examinations had intensified distress among students and their families.”Far from slowing down, this devastating trend is intensifying as the pressures of upcoming re-examinations loom over our youth. Over the past two months, I have personally met with several grief-stricken families of students who have tragically died by suicide. Beyond the unbearable emotional trauma of losing a child, these families are now facing severe, compounding financial ruin. In pursuit of a better future, many had taken out massive educational loans to support their children’s dreams, that were cruelly shattered by systemic failures,” he wrote.The Cockroach Janata Party chief called for immediate financial assistance to affected families and urged the government to intervene.”Having lost the very children they poured their life savings into educating, these families have been left entirely destitute. The government must step in to provide immediate relief. We demand that your administration release a compensation amount of one crore rupees to all families who have suffered from a suicide due to the compounding crisis of paper leaks,” Dipke said.He also reiterated his party’s demand for accountability from the government and sought the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.”The Cockroach Janta Party has been demanding the resignation of the Education Minister for the past month and has been protesting across the country for our demands. All that we students want is to see some accountability for the loss of lives,” he wrote.Calling for action against those responsible for alleged failures in the education system, Dipke said, “Holding leadership accountable is a vital step toward restoring the faith of millions of students and parents in our educational framework. If swift and decisive action is not taken to address these systemic failures and change the leadership responsible for them, it inadvertently sends a message that the administration accepts the status quo.”He further added, “The recurring systemic failures, mismanagements, and the crushing anxiety surrounding these examinations point to a collapse of our education system. Therefore, we respectfully request you to sack the Education Minister. He is serving at your pleasure and the buck stops with the Prime Minister.”In one of the strongest passages of the letter, Dipke wrote, “By acknowledging that Dharmendra Pradhan has destroyed India’s education system and by taking decisive action to replace him, you will not be showing weakness. Instead, you will be demonstrating to the nation that you possess the strength and resolve to enforce true accountability in this country. Otherwise, millions of citizens will feel completely hopeless, abandoned, and lost if the government shows no care or concern for its people.”The letter also called for broader reforms to address student welfare and examination-related stress.”We urge you to intervene immediately, prioritize the mental health and safety of our students, and bring about the structural reforms needed to ensure that no more young lives are cut short by academic despair,” Dipke said.He further announced a planned student gathering in the national capital, writing: “Students from all across India are assembling at Jantar Mantar 20th June onwards to raise our demand. We hope your government listens to the voice of India’s future.”The Centre has not yet responded publicly to the demands raised in the letter. Go to Source
