‘What happened was wrong. Gen Z has united against what is going wrong’

Student activists at a press meet on AISA’s ‘GenZ on the rise’ convention, in New Delhi on Thursday. | Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP From prominent student leaders in the Jharkhand protests to students at IIT Delhi and NALSAR, Hyderabad, student representatives highlighted their respective issues at ‘GenZ on the rise’, a conference and convention organised by All India Students’ Association (AISA) at Delhi’s Constitution Club of India.AISA’s national president Neha, who was on hunger strike for 23 days and became a prominent face during the Jantar Mantar protest, moderated the convention. “Our movements are not isolated, they have a common thread; students across the country have realised that people running corrupt education systems can be questioned,” she said before introducing student activists from across States.Among those on the panel was Shaikh Irshad Mansoori, the first identified to have pellet injuries in the July 20 Jantar Mantar march. “What happened was wrong. Students were unarmed when they attacked. Gen Z has united against what is going wrong,” he said.Voicing the issues faced by students in Jharkhand against paper leaks and irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission examinations, Habiba, a protester, said students had been struggling for years and the issue went beyond paper leaks. Alleging corruption and selling of seats, she said, “Gen Z will not be quiet. Gen Z has woken up… You might wonder ‘what will happen with one voice’, but it all starts with one voice.”Manirathinam, the brother of Anitha, a medical aspirant who died by suicide in Tamil Nadu, spoke about continuing the fight for his sister and other students. A student representative of IIT Delhi spoke about Rishikesh Kumar’s death, which led to protests on campus all through last week. Student representatives from NALSAR expressed solidarity via voice notes that were played during the convention.AISA campaignMs. Neha said AISA has concluded the first phase of ‘GenZ rising’, which included visits to multiple States including Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. “We did this campaign because even those who were not present at Jantar Mantar were replicating similar movements on their own campuses. Our attempt was to join different student protests together,” she said, adding that the campaign’s second phase would take the student outfit to Uttar Pradesh.(Those in distress can dial Tele MANAS helpline at 14416) Published - September 03, 2026 11:39 pm IST