Students' future in jeopardy over denial of SSA funds, Cong MP Sasikanth declares indefinite fast

CHENNAI: Congress’s Tiruvallur MP Sasikanth Senthil on Friday announced the launch of an indefinite hunger strike against the Union government’s decision to withhold funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme, alleging that the move had jeopardised the future of lakhs of students and teachers in the state.

The former IAS officer has commenced his fast-unto-death at the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) office at Tiruvallur Collectorate premises.

In a statement posted on his social media platform X, Senthil said the Centre had blocked Rs 2,152 crore meant for the State under the SSA, creating uncertainty for 43 lakh students and 2.2 lakh teachers. Terming the decision a violation of the Constitution, he said his protest was not a personal one but a fight for the rights of every child in Tamil Nadu to access quality education without political pressure or language imposition.

“The Congress has historically fought through non-violent means, and I take up this struggle in the same spirit,” he said. “If we do not resist the BJP government’s attempt to undermine our education system today, our children’s future will be in peril.”

He alleged that the Centre’s move was intended to weaken Tamil Nadu’s education model, which has been recognised as one of the best in the country. “Education is not a bargaining tool. It is a constitutional right under the Right to Education Act, and no government can deny it for political gains,” he said.

Appealing to democratic forces, social justice organisations, and the people of Tamil Nadu to support his protest, the MP said the hunger strike symbolised a collective struggle against what he described as the “arbitrary and vindictive” actions of the BJP-led Union government.