Former DUTA chief Aditya Narayan Mishra joins Congress

New Delhi: Former Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president and senior professor Aditya Narayan Mishra on Monday joined the Congress along with several prominent academicians, promising to revive the “crumbling” education system.

The teachers’ organisation Academics for Action and Development (AAD) also formally merged with the Indian National Congress, said a statement.

Speaking after joining the party, Mishra said he and his colleagues joined the Congress to strengthen Rahul Gandhi’s hands.

He pointed out that government educational institutions across the country were under attack and that thousands of schools had been shut down.

“Rahul Gandhi is fighting to uphold government-funded institutions, as well as justice and dignity for everybody,” Mishra said, adding that the country’s education system was “crumbling” and that he and his colleagues have joined the struggle to help pull the country out of the crisis.

Mishra, who served as DUTA president three times, joined the party at the Congress office in the presence of Delhi Congress in-charge Qazi Nizamuddin, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav, AICC’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam, former MLA and DPCC Secretary General Anil Bhardwaj, INTUC (Indian National Trade Union Congress) Delhi unit president Pankaj Garg, among others.

Welcoming Mishra and the other academicians into the party, Nizamuddin said the joining of senior teachers was significant at a time when questions were being raised over the education system, and incidents of violence against students were on the rise.

He said Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had been consistently fighting for justice for students and added that the intellectual contribution of Mishra and his colleagues would strengthen the Congress.

Speaking on the occasion, DPCC President Devender Yadav said that apart from heading DUTA three times, Mishra had also served as president of the Federation of Central Universities Teachers Associations.

He said the country’s youth and students need direction and guidance and that better leadership would help secure the country’s future.

Rajendra Pal Gautam said the teachers’ decision was aimed at protecting democracy, the Constitution and the education system.

He said Mishra had consistently raised the concerns of professors and students.

Gautam observed that the money spent on the ruling party’s programmes could instead have been used to construct several hostels and prevent incidents such as the recent collapse at Satya Niketan.

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