The Chandigarh Pradesh Congress Committee organised a candle march at Sukhna Lake on Friday in memory of students who lost their lives after being driven to despair by repeated paper leaks in competitive examinations.
Speaking on the occasion, MP Manish Tewari demanded an impartial investigation into all paper leak cases, strict punishment for those responsible and comprehensive reforms to ensure a transparent examination system.
He said though India was the world’s youngest nation, its youth were among the most disappointed and insecure. He pointed out that employment opportunities continued to decline, government recruitment processes remained pending for years, and when examinations were finally conducted, repeated paper leak incidents destroyed the credibility of the entire recruitment system.
The Chandigarh MP said providing justice, transparency and timely recruitment was the government’s fundamental responsibility. However, the present government had completely failed to fulfil this obligation, he added.
The candle march was jointly led by AICC In-charge for Chandigarh and former MP Rajani Patil, Tewari and city Congress president HS Lucky. Congress workers participated in the march carrying candles, banners, placards and photographs of students who died in the wake of paper leak incidents.
Patil said the youth of the country today felt more insecure about their future than ever before. She stated that millions of students devoted years of hard work to preparing for competitive examinations, but repeated paper leaks shattered their faith in the entire system. She said it was not merely an administrative failure but a grave injustice to the dreams and aspirations of India’s youth.
Lucky said unemployment was at an alarming level in the country. Due to policy failures, repeated paper leaks and delays in recruitment processes, the future of the country’s youth was being destroyed, he added. Many students, overwhelmed by mental stress and despair, took the extreme step. It was not merely a matter of statistics but a heartbreaking tragedy for the bereaved families, he added.
At the culmination of the march, all participants observed a two-minute silence in the memory of the departed souls.
