NEW DELHI:ย In the heart of Rajendra Nagar, central Delhi, the streets are filled with the voices of students demanding justice. On Saturday, July 27, a tragedy struck Rau’s IAS Study Circle, a prominent IAS coaching centre, where three students lost their lives due to flooding. This incident has sparked an uproar among the student community residing in the area, leading to a massive protest against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the coaching centreโs administration.
The New Indianย talked to a female student who, under the condition of anonymity, shared the harrowing issues faced by the students living in the area. Her voice trembled with frustration and anger as she recounted the events and the daily challenges they endured.
โThe issues here, if you would say, the immediate issues which led to the chaos, are that we have an overflowing sewage problem. Usually, when it rains, the water is still at your waist level. And then you have open wires. This area has heavy, dense wiring.โ
Adding further she said, โThe MCD doesnโt care about it, you will see mostly open wires hanging in stagnant water. The open wires stick to the iron gates. Three days ago, one of our people died due to electrocution. The issues here are very pitiful. We live quite literally in a very pitiful place where there is no value for human life.โ
When asked whom she blames for the tragedy, her response was unequivocal. โIf I am talking about the water issues, it’s the MCD. If I am talking about the open wires, it’s the electricity department. Even the water department doesn’t care. Also, Rau’s IAS Study Circle, where we are sitting right in front of, holds significant responsibility.โ
The atmosphere turned tense as she recounted the tragic incident. โThe immediate issue which happened yesterday led to the death of many people. The entire crowdย here, the entire street jammed with students, were eyewitnesses to the fact that there were more deaths. There were not just three people; there were more than 15 people who died. The data has been tampered with to contain the anger of the people protesting. There was no transparency from the administration’s side.โ
Her voice quivered with disbelief and sorrow as she described the response from the coaching centreโs director. โThere was a mass murder in the basement of this building, which was hugely his responsibility as a director.โ
When questioned about the director’s culpability, she did not hesitate. โOf course, I do blame the director of the coaching. If I’m a businessman and if I have a building, I would take care of my employees. He is hoarding money out of these students, and heโs not providing safety. There was just one exit and one entry point in the library. The basement is hazardous for students to study, yet no measures were taken.โ
The flood of emotions continued as she spoke about the broader implications. โWe leave our homes with high expectations and hopes which our parents carry. We lost one of us. This is our fraternity.โ
Her determination was evident when discussing the protest and their demands. โInitially, we demanded to summon our IAS study circle’s director. The MCD department washed off its hands by saying it was a natural calamity. We want the MCD head to come here, take back his words, and own up to their negligence. It is a pure case of corruption. There was no proper inspection. If inspections were done, what was submitted in the reports? It is a pure case of corruption.โ
The demands were clear and heartfelt. โThe institute mints a lot of money. Each student pays three lakh rupees per year. The deceased families need to be compensated with five crores. We will remain here until our demands are met. This is a pressure group; activism is a way of being heard. All our people are doing a beautiful job here. It could have been anyone. Yesterday, it was someone else; today, it might be me, and tomorrow, it might be my extended family. We will stay here until justice is served, no matter how long it takes.โ
