Tribal students’ fight for identity: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the fight of tribal students from Maharashtra is not just for education, employment, hostels, and food, but it is also for their existence and Adivasi identity.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha shared on X a video of his interaction with tribal students on Wednesday during his visit to Nashik.

In a post in Hindi on X accompanying the video, Gandhi said, “’We are Adivasis; RSS-BJP want to turn us into Vanvasis’. The fight of tribal students from Nashik and Maharashtra is not just for education, employment, hostels, and food-it’s also for their existence and Adivasi identity.”

It was a pleasure to meet these brave students, who stood firm against the Maharashtra Government, raised their voice for their rights, and achieved victory, Gandhi said.

“Promised the students-we, the Congress, and I stand with them in every fight for their rights,” he said.

Gandhi had met the delegation of tribal students, including those who were on a hunger strike to press for their demands, during his visit to Nashik in Maharashtra on Wednesday.

The students were protesting over a range of issues, including the condition of ashram schools meant for tribals.

Gandhi, in a post on X on Wednesday, had said, “Education is not a privilege — it is the right of every student in India.”

The Congress leader had said that during his Nashik visit, he met with a delegation of tribal students and carefully listened to their problems and demands.

Every student has the right to a respectful, safe, and conducive environment for their studies, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha had said.

“Students from marginalised communities should not face neglect from the system; they need its support and every possible assistance,” he had said.