Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Experts gathered in Guwahati on Monday to challenge the global commercialisation of education. The event marked the 14th death anniversary of former Assam College Teachers’ Association general secretary Apurba Kumar Das. Hosted at New Art Players, the lecture focused on the struggle to keep public schools open and accessible. Bhupen Sarmah, former director of the Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, delivered the keynote address. He linked teacher shortages in France and school blockades in Germany to a wider slide toward authoritarianism.
Sarmah tracked a wave of unrest stretching from Spain to Chile and Nepal. He noted that governments frequently label student protesters as anti-national to suppress dissent. Sarmah specifically criticized India’s National Education Policy for prioritizing market needs over intellectual growth. He pointed to internships that place students in shopping malls for hollow work-experience certificates. "Universities should encourage independent thought, rationality, critical thinking and the development of students' intellectual identities," Sarmah said.
The discussion also touched on the 2026 Cockroach Janata Party protest at Jantar Mantar. That agitation targeted irregularities in the NEET-UG exam. Sarmah argued that young people are demanding transparency in a system plagued by corruption and inequality. He praised historical left movements for their role in resisting repressive state policies. The session was presided over by ACTA office secretary Shoheil Ahmed. He lauded Das for building strong teacher unions in Assam. Devika Saikia, a leader from Cotton University, recalled how Das taught staff to connect local salary struggles to global neoliberal trends. Golapi Das, the widow of Apurba Kumar Das, closed the meeting with a vote of thanks.
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