“The youth of the country have awakened; they are out on the streets,” Das said, urging those in power to stop what he described as “childish antics” and concentrate on basic necessities. His remarks reinforce the organisation’s attempt to broaden its appeal beyond individual education controversies and position public-service accountability at the centre of its mobilisation.
The comments come as CJP’s “School Theek Karo” campaign expands across several states. The initiative, launched on August 15 by founder Abhijeet Dipke, encourages volunteers and students to document conditions in government schools, including damaged buildings, sanitation problems, teacher shortages and shortcomings in meal programmes.
CJP has sought to turn such inspections into a form of citizen-led social audit. Videos from school visits have circulated widely online, giving the campaign visibility among students and younger social-media users while also drawing scrutiny from education authorities and police.
One of the most tangible responses came in Haryana’s Bhiwani district, where the in-charge of a government primary school at Sangwan village was suspended after a CJP video alleged shortcomings in the mid-day meal and school infrastructure. Two cooks were removed and a show-cause notice was issued to the official responsible for the meal programme. Authorities also arranged additional staff to keep classes and meals running.
The campaign has also generated confrontation. CJP founder Dipke and five others were booked after a visit to a zilla parishad school in Ausa, Latur district, over allegations that they entered without permission, filmed students and disrupted school activity. Police action followed complaints from school staff, highlighting the growing dispute over how far activists can go while documenting public institutions.
Rajasthan has tightened access to school campuses by requiring prior permission for outsiders and restricting photography and videography. The move followed CJP-linked inspections and protests over infrastructure and drinking-water facilities. The organisation has said it intends to continue raising complaints despite the restrictions.
The campaign has taken a more serious turn in West Bengal. The father of CJP volunteer Sheikh Abdul Hafeez was killed after an attack on the family following Hafeez’s visit to a government school in Bankura district as part of the education drive. Eight people were arrested, while the organisation demanded action against those responsible and linked the incident to intimidation surrounding school inspections.
Das has increasingly emerged as one of the organisation’s most visible voices. An investigative journalist before taking a formal spokesperson role, he has repeatedly argued that CJP should remain focused on issues affecting young people rather than rush into conventional electoral politics. The organisation has not announced a plan to contest elections, although its expanding ground network has fuelled speculation about a possible political transition.
His statement that the country’s youth had “awakened” was also used after CJP ended its earlier agitation over examination reforms. At the time, Das described that campaign as only the beginning and said the organisation would travel across the country to listen to young people and continue demanding accountability.
Education has now become the principal vehicle for that outreach. CJP is seeking to connect physical conditions in schools with wider questions about government priorities, arguing that political debates should not displace spending and administrative attention on classrooms, colleges and healthcare.
