Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA) is a student organization formed on 15 November 2014 at Jawaharlal Nehru University on the anniversary of Birsa Munda's birth.[1] It claims to work for student rights and the issues affecting Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and other minority groups.[2] BAPSA says it stands for assertion,[3] follows Ambedkarite ideology[4] and is critical of both left and right-wing forces on campus.[5] BAPSA is also active in Central University of Gujarat.[6]
| Abbreviation | BAPSA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2014 |
| Founded at | Jawaharlal Nehru University |
| Purpose | Social justice Social equality Social transformation |
| Location | |
Region | India |
| Website | www |
Campus activities
editFounded by members of the United Dalit Students’ Forum,[7] BAPSA conducts rallies[8] and protests,[9] as well as inviting students and teachers from the campus to talk about their issues.[7]
In 2017, BAPSA blocked the JNU administration building for 20 days in protest at a cut in the number of reserved seats and changes in the entrance criteria for graduate programs which they thought would make it difficult for marginalised applicants to gain admission to study.[10] In February 2018, BAPSA protested the Tata Institute of Social Sciences administration’s decision to withdraw financial aid to students from the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class communities.[11]
JNUSU elections
editBAPSA has contested the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) polls since 2016.[7] The Hindu noted after the 2017 elections, where the BAPSA presidential candidate finished third, that the result showed "there was space for a party that did not subscribe to the Left-Right binary. With every election, the Ambedkarite forces have put up a better show basing their campaign on the 'unity of the oppressed' slogan."[12]
The 2017 elections to the JNUSU Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) were won by BAPSA's Magare Bhupali Vithal. The elections were not recognised by the university authorities and were held in protest at the administration's disbandment of the GSCASH.[13]
In the 2018 JNUSU election, BAPSA had its debut in JNU Students' Union having Sanjay Kumar as the Councillor in School of Arts and Aesthetics (SAA). He became the first Ambedkarite representative in JNUSU with a historic victory.[14] In 2019 JNUSU election, Afreen Fatima also won, representing BAPSA & Fraternity Movement alliance, as the Councillor in the School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies.[15]
In the 2024 JNUSU election, BAPSA's Dalit queer[16] candidate Priyanshi Arya defeated ABVP's candidate and became the first Ambedkarite to win a seat in the central panel as the General Secretary. BAPSA's Megha Kumari won the councillor seat for SIS while BAPSA's Ramniwas Gurjar won the Councillor seat for CSLG.[17]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "JNUSU polls: BAPSA announces its arrival as a contender in JNU's political scene". The Indian Express. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ Kumar, Abhay. "Hindutva Terror in JNU: Student Najeeb Still Missing". The Milli Gazette. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ "Among Dalits, a restlessness mainstream parties choose to ignore". The Indian Express. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ "In JNU, an Ambedkarite student union, BAPSA, finds an ally in Kabali". The News Minute. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ "Holding onto Ambedkar: The emergence of BAPSA and the challenge to Left and Right". twocircles.net. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ "Student Election at CUG: Sixth time in a row ABVP fails to get hold of School of Social Sciences". Ahmedabad Mirror. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ a b c "JNU polls: BAPSA campaigners will be from 'margins'". Hindustan Times. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ "Babri anniversary: JNU cancels all talks, seminars on topic to 'maintain harmony'". Hindustan Times. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ "Protests suggest something wrong somewhere at JNU: Delhi HC". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ "How India's Student Activists are Standing Up for the Dalits - World Policy". World Policy. 19 December 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ "TISS strike: Students in Delhi march in solidarity with peers, submit letter to HRD minister". Scroll.in. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ "United Left sweeps JNUSU election". The Hindu. 11 September 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ "In protest, JNU elects 4 members to GSCASH". The Indian Express. 29 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ Agha, Eram; Fazili, Sana. "Amid Left Sweep, BAPSA Debuts in the JNU Students' Union Council". News 18.
- ^ Ghosh, Shaunak (13 September 2019). "Tectonic Shift: BAPSA-Fraternity Alliance in the JNU elections". newslaundry.
- ^ "Left candidates win all four posts in Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union elections". Scroll.in. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ Butani, Ashna (24 March 2024). "JNU students' union elections | Left candidates trounce ABVP". The Hindu.