‘UP Police Broke in Here and Thrashed Us’: Students at Prayagraj Hostel Speak Up

Cameraperson: Shiv Kumar Maurya

Video editor: Prashant Chauhan

"The police broke into our rooms and beat us up. We were terrified. We were being treated like we were terrorists."

Sachin Pal, 21-year-old student in Prayagraj

On 25 January, personnel of the UP Police stormed a lodge in Prayagraj and beat up the students inside in an attempted crackdown on protests against the RRB-NTPC recruitment process.

Videos recorded at the time that showed the police beating the students quickly went viral on social media, prompting widespread outrage.

Now, the students who were at the receiving end of the police violence open up to The Quint about what took place that day, their grouse with the RRB-NTPC recruitment process, the underlying issue of high unemployment, and whether what they're facing will impact how they vote in the upcoming UP Assembly election.

'The Police Thrashed Even Those Who Weren't at the RRB-NTPC Protest'

Sachin Pal, a 21-year-old resident of the lodge, says, "I am preparing for the JEE. I am not an NTPC applicant and I wasn't even there at the NTPC protest. But when the police entered our lodge, they beat people regardless of whether they were there at the protest. They beat me up too. It was terrifying."

The lodge in question is located in the Chota Baghada area of Prayagraj, a neighbourhood bustling with students preparing for various competitive exams.

Sattvik Singh, an 18-year-old UPSC aspirant who lives in the area and went to the NTPC protest, says "The police began lathicharging the protesters who had gathered at the railway station. Then, they chased them into this locality and attacked them. I saw it with my own eyes, the way the police was beating them was barbaric and inhumane."

'When Delhi Police Thrashed Students in Jamia, I Thought it Was a Good Thing. But Now...'

Dharmendra Kumar, a 28-year-old NTPC applicant from UP's Pratapgarh and a resident of the lodge, says he was among the students beaten up by the UP Police on 25 January.

Kumar tells The Quint, "In 2019, when the (Delhi) police beat up students in Jamia, I felt that they deserved it, as punishment for working against the country and opposing the system and the administration."

And then he adds, "But now, my thoughts on this have changed a lot, given my own experiences here. Because whoever speaks up against them (the government) are labelled as villains."

"I have been a supporter of the BJP and voted for them in the past, but now, my views are changing as a result of my own experiences."

Dharmendra Kumar, NTPC applicant

Doors Locked: Fearing More Violence, Several Students Have Gone Home

"The students are so scared that many of them have locked their rooms and gone home," says Sachin. He adds, "It is natural for anyone who is beaten up to feel scared. I am going to go home too."

When The Quint visited the lodge on 28 January, several of the rooms were indeed locked.

Ravi Agrahari, a 22-year-old NTPC applicant from Ayodhya who lives in the same Chota Baghada neighbourhood, says, "Several students were injured in the police violence. Fractured fingers, bruises on their back. That is why a lot of students have chosen to go home."

'The Underlying Issue is That the Government Has Failed to Provide Jobs'

For the 35,000-odd vacancies in the RRB-NTPC recruitment process this time, around 60 lakh students are reported to have appeared for the exam.

"Why introduce a second, tougher exam for Group D applicants who are looking for 'fourth-class' jobs? What is the possible reason for that?" asks Rahul Yadav, a 22-year-old NTPC applicant.

"They were supposed to shortlist around 7 lakh students after the test. Instead, only around 3.5 applicants were shortlisted. That is also why students are protesting," says Dharmendra Kumar.

Yet, most students agree that beyond these grievances is a larger underlying cause of discontent - the high levels of unemployment even among the educated youth.

"There is a huge amount of unemployment. The pandemic has worsened the situation. Our parents have spent money to send us here to study. But there are hardly any jobs in either the private or public sector. The government has failed to provide employment. They are ruining our lives."

Ravi Agrahari, 22-year-old NTPC applicant from Ayodhya

"The government doesn't deliver on even 10% of what they promise", rues Rahul Yadav.

'This Issue Will Definitely Impact How We Vote'

"In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, I voted for the BJP, thinking that a BJP government will provide jobs. But they haven't been able to do that and that is why I will not vote for them this time. I will vote for the Samajwadi Party instead."

Ravi Agrahari, 22-year-old NTPC applicant from Ayodhya

"Priyanka Gandhi Vadra spoke up against what is happening to students (on the RRB-NTPC issue) and it was very heartening to see that," says Vineet Yadav, a 23-year-old from Azamgarh who appeared for the NTPC exam and has been preparing for the UP Teacher Eligibility Test (UPTET) too. He adds, "We don't want a government that beats up innocent youth like this."