From Navnirman to Jantar Mantar: Exposing the Congress Party’s Double Standards: How can the Congress, which forgot the student martyrs of the Navnirman Movement, speak today about protecting students’ interests?

(Prashant Vala)

In a democracy, every citizen has the right to protest. However, forgetting history or remembering it selectively in the name of protest is not political honesty. When political parties attempt to mislead students by claiming to champion their interests solely for political gain, it is only natural that the people of the country remind them of their own past.

Following the incident at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, the Congress and its allies have launched a propaganda campaign against Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the BJP government. However, has the Congress ever reflected upon one of the darkest chapters of its own history—the Navnirman Movement in Gujarat?

The truth is that the Congress Party and the Gandhi family have never apologized to the families of the students who were brutally killed on their orders during the Navnirman Movement.

The Navnirman Movement is regarded as one of the largest student movements in the history of India. It began in December 1973 at Morbi Engineering College and later spread to L.D. Engineering College in Ahmedabad, where students protested against the increase in hostel food charges. What initially started as a student protest soon transformed into a statewide mass movement against corruption, inflation, and administrative misgovernance.

At that time, Shri Chimanbhai Patel of the Congress Party was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, while Smt. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India. The government was facing serious allegations of corruption, and public confidence had begun to erode.

As traders, the middle class, women, employees, and ordinary citizens joined hands with the students, protests spread across Gujarat. Schools and colleges were shut down, demonstrations erupted throughout the state, and thousands of students took to the streets.

The then Education Minister, Ayesha Begum, reportedly described the student agitation as an “anti-national movement”. As the protests intensified, they spread to nearly 33 cities across Gujarat. The Congress government imposed curfew not only in Ahmedabad and Vadodara but also in smaller cities such as Palanpur. Female  students protested outside Congress offices by throwing bangles as a symbol of defiance. Arrests of students began, and the movement continued to expand.

The students had only one demand—that Chief Minister Chimanbhai Patel must resign. However, he was unwilling to step down under any circumstances. Instead of listening to the voice of the people in a democratic system, the Congress government chose the path of harsh police action. The army was called in to assist in controlling the situation, and incidents of lathi-charge and police firing took place.

According to official records:

• The Navnirman Movement lasted for 73 days.
• 105 students lost their lives in police firing.
• 8,053 people were arrested.
• 184 individuals were detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).
• 1,654 lathi-charges were carried out.
• 4,342 tear gas shells were fired.
• 1,405 rounds of live ammunition were fired.
• 310 people were injured.

These figures demonstrate the gravity of the situation and indicate that large-scale force was used by the Congress government. After immense suffering, repression, and the sacrifice of 105 students, Chief Minister Chimanbhai Patel and his government were ultimately compelled to resign.

Today, the Congress speaks about human rights, students’ welfare, the Constitution, and democracy on every occasion.

However, the following questions remain:

• Has the Congress ever undertaken introspection regarding the student martyrs of the Navnirman Movement?
• Has it ever publicly acknowledged that the events of that period were tragic?
• Has it ever apologized to the families of those who lost their lives?

• Will the Congress ever apologize for the killing of 105 students in police firing?

If the answer to all these questions is “No,” then on what moral basis does the Congress claim the authority to lecture others on democracy and ethics today?

The student martyrs of the Navnirman Movement did not belong to any political party. They were the youth, and the future of not just Gujarat but our country. Their sacrifice became a symbol of the struggle against corruption and misgovernance.

Even today, the memorial pillars dedicated to these student martyrs wait for a day when a Congress leader, will possibly be moved by conscience, and will come and light a lamp there as an act of repentance.

The sacrifices of these students should never be forgotten for political convenience. The younger generation of the country deserves to know this chapter of history. Remembering their sacrifice and ensuring that this history is not erased would be the truest tribute to the martyrs.

Prashant Vala
State Media In-charge
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Gujarat