Protest Demo at Andhra Bhavan

Join PROTEST DEMO

Against

Killing of 8 Left Activists in Police Firing in A.P.

At Andhra Bhavan
30th July, 2007 (Monday)

Assemble at Ganga Dhaba at 9.30 AM

SFI release on AP Police Firing

Eight Left Activists Killed In Police Firing In Andhra

Dated: 28.07.07

Friends,

Students’ Federation of India strongly condemns the killing of eight persons in police firing in Mudigonda, near Khammam in Andhra Pradesh. The dead included a student and a woman. The police resorted to brutal firing on people participating in a peaceful RASTA ROKO as part of the bandh to protest police repression and the refusal of the government to concede their genuine demands. The CPI(M), CPI and 195 mass organisations have been conducting a peaceful movement for house sites and land for the poor, since May 2, 2007. The struggle entered a new phase on July 22 with the indefinite hunger strike launched by leaders of the CPI(M) and CPI. Instead of discussing and settling the issues, the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh resorted to brutal attacks against the people. Hundreds of people were seriously injured in police lathicharges in different parts of the state and thousands were sent to jail. Leaders including B.V. Raghavulu, Member of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau, P Madhu, Member of the CPI(M) Central Committee and K Narayana, Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh State Council of the CPI who were on indefinite hunger strike were forcibly arrested at midnight on Friday. The genuine demands of the people for house sites and land cannot be suppressed by such brutal display of force. The SFI urges upon the government of Andhra Pradesh to immediately concede all genuine demands. The SFI also demands firm action against the police officers responsible for the firing and payment of adequate compensation to those killed.

For the last three months poor peasants, landless agricultural workers, homeless urban poor people are waging a struggle in Andhra Pradesh demanding the state government to implement the 9/77 act which guarantees land assignment to the poor. Instead of taking steps to implement this act government brought an amendment which nullifies the spirit of the Land Assignment Act, 1977 and paves way to legalise all illegal occupations by the land mafia and influential classes in the state. This act only meant for legalising the illegal occupations of assigned land, snatching away the assigned land from the hands of poor and to reallocate the same to the influential sections of the society. At the same time lakhs of people are waiting in queue for almost one decade to get their piece of land to construct their homes. Government's only refrain is that there is no such vacant land which could be given to common masses for such purpose. At the same time the committee appointed by state government under the chairmanship of Koneru Rangarao, Cabinet Minister, found huge tracts of land ( more than 60 lakh acres) available with the government right now with which state as on date. Fearing worst consequences, the government has refused to make Koneru Rangarao Committee Report public. It is not even ready to table the report on the floor of state assembly.

In this background a ground swelling movement is going on demanding the state government to implement the recommendations of Koneru Rangarao Committee. 195 grassroot organisations including NGOs cutting across political and ideological affiliations have joined hands in support of this demand. Of late major political parties in the state have also extended their solidarity. The ongoing struggle reached its peak with the Hunger fast movement where the leaders of CPI(M) and CPI sitting on fast. Thousands of hunger fast tents have already been erected in the state where laks of common people are sitting on hunger strike in support of demands. Instead of agreeing to the genuine demands of the vast sections of people, state government has sought to repress the movement. More than three thousand cases were registered against the leaders of the movement. Thousands were sent to jail with non bailable warrants. Severe lathi charge has become a daily phenomenon where thousands are bearing the brunt of police. There is a en-mass moral support to this movement including those of upper middle class who could not find land to build their homes.

The Police in Andhra Pradesh let loose terror on Thursday against the poor agitating for house sites. Thousands and thousands of poor people, including a large number of women, picketed the district collectarates on Thursday throughout the state at the call given by the CPI(M) and CPI. Police resorted to severe lathi charge and used teargas shells, water cannons, mounted police in almost all district headquarters and arrested the agitators and the leaders of CPI(M) and CPI. In the state capital Hyderabad, the police action reminded the day when three people were killed by the police bullets seven years ago, when they were agitating against the hike in power tariff by the then TDP government. Yesterday, when poor people picketed Hyderabad district collectorate, the police used all sorts of force except firing. Many people received serious blood injuries and were to be taken to Osmania general hospital for treatment. The situation was same in almost all the district headquarters. Many women received blows from the police in their abdomen. Many of them got fainted due to the lathi blows. In solidarity with the huger-fast comrades and protesting against the police atrocities people observed State Bandh today, 28th July in which the police fired on the peaceful protesters in which 8 left activists were killed. SFI appeals to the student community to unite against the police firing on poor people and left activists and come out in support of the just demands of the people of the state.

- an SFI release

SFI pamphlet on the Protest March on 28th July

SFI-AISF

Allow the Rusticated Students and JNUSU Office Bearers to Register Immediately!

Date: 28/07/07

Friends,
More than 15 days have passed since the JNU administration entered into an agreement with the JNUSU and agreed to enable all the concerned (rusticated) students to take registration by the 14th of August on the basis of them submitting written appeals. However, even after getting appeals from all the rusticated students the administration has not initiated the process of giving registration to them. Even their rooms continue to be double locked till now. Registration of JNUSU office-bearers are also blocked which is nothing but a move towards betrayal of its own agreement with the JNUSU. JNUSU President has submitted a letter to the Vice-Chancellor demanding that their registration process be immediately initiated and the unjust fines imposed on office-bearers should be revoked. In this context, the unilateral decision of JNUSU Gen. Secy who is from AISA to submit an appeal to the administration, and that too by keeping the entire student community in dark, is an unacceptable act. This meek surrender of JNUSU Gen. Secy. before the administration is only strengthening the authoritarian character of the later.

The SFI-AISF would also appeal to the student community to isolate reactionary forces like YFE who have always been the stooges of administration. In their last pamphlet, the YFE has once again shown its true colours by attacking the JNUSU and siding with the punishment of students given by the administration. YFE has the track record of not mobilising students against administration and the reality is that it only feels motivated when there is an opportunity to spit venom against the deprived communities and attack the socially sensitive character of our university.

SFI-AISF appeals to the student community to join the protest march of JNUSU demonstrating rock solid student unity against the authoritarian JNU administration. If the students forced the administration to concede defeat in the midst of vacations, administration must realise that any dilly dally approach in this regard would only invite a bigger wrath of students.

JOIN JNUSU’S PROTEST MARCH

DEMANDING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JNUSU’S AGREEMENT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION

GANGA DHABA 9 PM 28/07/07 (TONIGHT)

Sd/- Rajiv Kumar Ranjan, Secretary, SFI-JNU.

Sd/- Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, AISF-JNU.

SFI pamphlet of AP Police Firing

STUDENTS’ FEDERATION OF INDIA
Date: 29/07/07

Come and see the blood in the streets!
Let their sacrifices not go in vain.

They are not fallen trees, they are sprouting seeds….. the harbingers of hope.

Friends,
Students’ Federation of India strongly condemns the killing of eight persons in police firing in Mudigonda, near Khammam in Andhra Pradesh. The dead included a student and a woman. The police resorted to brutal firing on people participating in a peaceful RASTA ROKO as part of the bandh to protest police repression and the refusal of the government to concede their genuine demands. The CPI(M), CPI and 195 mass organisations have been conducting a peaceful movement for house sites and land for the poor, since May 2, 2007. The struggle entered a new phase on July 22 with the indefinite hunger strike launched by leaders of the CPI(M) and CPI. Instead of discussing and settling the issues, the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh resorted to brutal attacks against the people. Hundreds of people were seriously injured in police lathicharges in different parts of the state and thousands were sent to jail. Leaders including B.V. Raghavulu, Member of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau, P Madhu, Member of the CPI(M) Central Committee and K Narayana, Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh State Council of the CPI who were on indefinite hunger strike were forcibly arrested at midnight on Friday. The genuine demands of the people for house sites and land cannot be suppressed by such brutal display of force. The SFI demands that the government of Andhra Pradesh immediately concede to all the genuine demands. The SFI also demands firm action against the police officers responsible for the firing and payment of adequate compensation to those killed.

JOIN PROTEST DEMONSTRATION

AGAINST THE KILLER CONGRESS GOVERNMENT

ANDHRA BHAWAN 30/07/07(Tomorrow)

ASSEMBLE AT GANGA DHABA AT 9:30 AM

Sd/- Rajiv Kumar Ranjan, Secretary, SFI-JNU.

Sd/- Roshan Kishore, President, SFI-JNU.

JNUSU Protest March

Join JNUSU’S PROTEST MARCH

• Revoke the Rustication Orders against the concerned students.
• Enable them to get complete Registration formalities.
• Unconditionally withdraw the unjust fines imposed on the JNUSU Office-Bearers.
• Fully Honour the agreement with the JNUSU in letter and spirit.
  
  

28/07/07 (Saturday) - Ganga Dhaba - 9 pm

SFI-AISF Pamphlet

RALLY BEHIND THE JNUSU TO UPHOLD ITS SANCTITY AND PRESTIGE!
EXPOSE THE HYPOCRISY AND SURRENDER BY THE ULTRA-LEFT!!
July 25, 2007

Dear Friends,

The pamphlet issued by AISA yesterday was yet another instance of their hypocrisy on the one hand and their failure to uphold the sanctity and prestige of the JNUSU on the other. AISA has made three claims in its pamphlet: (i) The JNUSU office-bearers from the SFI-AISF are violating UGBM resolutions regarding the incident on 19th February; (ii) The refusal of the JNUSU office-bearers from the SFI-AISF to submit letters of regret violates the agreement signed between the JNUSU and the administration and (iii) SFI-AISF is trying to break students’ unity. Each one of these arguments is fallacious and sinister.

Who is violating UGBM Resolutions?

The UGBM held on 8th March 2007 was held in the backdrop of the JNUSU Council meeting expressing regret for the 19th February incident (the AISA representatives abstained on voting in the Council). Following the Council meeting, the JNUSU office-bearers along with some other students who were suspended, had already expressed regret on the lines of the JNUSU Council resolution. It was the DSU which defied the Council Resolution and refused to express regret. The UGBM endorsed the JNUSU Council Resolution expressing regret on the 19th February incident and rejected the DSU line of not expressing regret. It further resolved that upon expression of regret there should be no disciplinary action on any student and therefore no Proctorial enquiry into the matter. The JNUSU President communicated the UGBM resolution to the administration the very next day and the Proctorial Enquiry was boycotted by the JNUSU. Nobody from the SFI-AISF ever went to depose before the Proctorial enquiry. However, the submission of regret letters by the suspended students of DSU following the UGBM, was not in keeping with the JNUSU resolution: they regretted the “inconvenience caused, if any”. That was a violation of the UGBM resolution by the DSU.

It was in keeping with the UGBM resolution that the JNUSU launched an agitation against the rustication of 8 students and fine imposed upon the office-bearers, under the leadership of the JNUSU President from SFI-AISF. When the Administration agreed to reconsider the punishment on the basis of an appeal expressing regret, the JNUSU office-bearers from SFI-AISF categorically refused to submit any appeal once again. It was the AISA and the General Secretary of the JNUSU who were more than willing to submit regret letters, disregarding the letter and spirit of the UGBM resolution. Since SFI-AISF understands the concerns of the rusticated students, whose student life is at stake, it did not oppose an agreement with the administration on this basis. However, submission of any regret letter by the JNUSU office-bearers was categorically opposed by the SFI-AISF because the UGBM never mandated the JNUSU office-bearers to express regret on an individual basis. The minutes of the JNUSU Council and all-organization meetings held at the administrative block before signing the agreement with the administration would clearly show the various positions in that debate. JNUSU office-bearers had already expressed regret on the lines of the JNUSU Council resolution even before the UGBM was held! Therefore, it is the General Secretary of the JNUSU from the AISA who owes an explanation to the student community for submitting another regret letter! Did the General Secretary of the JNUSU seek the opinion of the student community before submitting another regret letter? Afraid of confronting the administration any more, even on legitimate grounds, the General Secretary of the JNUSU has meekly surrendered before the administration. Now, in order to justify his act of cowardice and opportunism, the AISA is leveling baseless charges against the SFI-AISF of violating UGBM resolution. Let the AISA mention one resolution passed in the UGBM which mandates the JNUSU office-bearers to submit another regret letter.

Where is the Breach of the Agreement?

The AISA has correctly pointed out that the agreement with the administration states: “The Vice chancellor has agreed to reconsider the punishment based on the Proctorial decision with regard to the incident that took place on 19th February 2007 on receiving individual letters of regret with an appeal from concerned students to enable them to register by 14th August 2007”. However, that JNUSU office-bearers have to make an appeal for seeking registration by 14th August 2007 is indeed a strange interpretation of the agreement on AISA’s part because the JNUSU office-bearers have not been denied registration in the first place; they have only been fined. This agreement is only meant for those students who have been rusticated and hence denied registration. The SFI-AISF sticks to the position that the fines levied on the JNUSU office-bearers, on the basis of the charge that they were ‘unable to control the situation’, should be revoked unconditionally. The SFI-AISF would have liked to see all the punishments revoked unconditionally in keeping with the UGBM resolution. However, since the rusticated students had agreed to make an appeal to the administration expressing regret once again, the SFI-AISF did not want to stand in the way of the revocation of their rustication. However, if anybody has breached the agreement, in the sense of going overboard in placating the administration, it is the General Secretary of the JNUSU, because the administration has never demanded any regret by the JNUSU office-bearers in the first place. In fact the SFI-AISF is shocked and dismayed by this supine attitude displayed by the General Secretary who is trying to bend backwards to appease the administration. Would he have the backbone to face the administration ever again and fight against anti-student moves? We doubt it strongly. It is indeed shameful for the AISA to have allowed the General Secretary to submit a regret letter and then accusing the SFI-AISF of trying to be “good boys” before the administration. This is a classic case of hypocrisy.

Who is Disrupting Student Unity?

AISA has accused the SFI-AISF of disrupting the unity of the students. This is in keeping with their unethical and immoral politics. The JNUSU President is yet to recover from the after-effects of the arduous indefinite hunger strike that he led from the front against the punishment of the students and the students’ charter of demands. The entire university was witness to the steadfast commitment of the SFI-AISF activists to student unity when they worked tirelessly during the difficult agitation in order to make it a success. How easily the AISA glosses over these facts for sectarian ends. We want to ask some simple questions to the AISA. Do they genuinely regret the incident of 19th February? If so, who do they hold responsible for it? As far as the JNUSU office-bearers from the SFI-AISF are concerned, they did not participate in the gherao of the Registrar, but could not prevent it from happening. They have already offered regret for that. But some students did tie a rope around the car of the Registrar, some deflated the tyres, some smeared black paint on the car and one student climbed on the top of the car and shouted slogans. Who were they? Was there a “collective” decision of the JNUSU or the UGBM to indulge in all these acts? AISA should either categorically deny their role on 19th February (which we know they can’t because they issued a pamphlet celebrating the ‘gherao’) or accept responsibility for the same. If the AISA’s parameters for expressing solidarity with workers’ rights or upholding student unity imply lying to the student community or justifying these adventurist acts, we are sorry we cannot pass the test. The Proctorial enquiry has nothing to do with this: the JNUSU has already rejected the punishments based on the Proctorial enquiry and fought to reverse them. However, AISA should not suffer from the illusion that they can obfuscate their adventurist role on 19th February before the student community, riding piggy back upon the successful agitation led by the JNUSU. The students of JNU would expect them not to repeat such stupid feats in future, which discredit the JNU student movement. The sanctity and prestige of the JNUSU is supreme, since it embodies the collective spirit of the JNU student community. The JNUSU office-bearers from the SFI-AISF would not submit any more appeal expressing regret. SFI-AISF demands that their fines be revoked unconditionally. If AISA does not support this position, let them at least not come in the way. Any effort on their part to collude with the administration against the SFI-AISF would not be forgiven by the student community.

Sd/- Rajiv Kumar Ranjan, Secy. , SFI-JNU.

Sd/- Fauzan Abrar, Jt. Secy., AISF-JNU.

Release against JNUSU General Secretary

“However, what happened in reality was that AISA, (led by the JNUSU General Secretary) unilaterally went on to submit their letter last Monday.” – DSU notice dated 19/07/07.

Has the JNUSU General Secretary unilaterally submitted regret letter to the JNU Administration, as pointed out by the DSU notice?

Mr. General Secretary, Make your stand clear before the JNU student community!!

an SFI-AISF release (Dated: 24/07/07)

SFI-AISF pamphlet on Agitation

STUDENTS’ FEDERATION OF INDIA
ALL INDIA STUDENTS’ FEDERATION
July 21, 2007
On the Successful Struggle led by the JNU Students’ Union!!

Dear Friends,

The JNU Students’ Union, under the leadership of the SFI-AISF, recently led a successful struggle against the rustication of 8 student activists, fines on three office bearers of the JNUSU and the students’ charter of demands including issues like increase in Merit-Cum-Means scholarships etc. The agitation was a prolonged and difficult one, especially because it was fought during the summer vacations when most of the students were not present in the campus. The JNUSU carried this struggle for 18 days including 12 days of indefinite hunger strike by the JNUSU President Dhananjay along with the JNUSU Vice-President and 4 other students. The JNU administration, which had tried to browbeat the student movement by victimizing student activists, had to finally relent and accept the demands of the JNUSU.

Adventurism of the Ultra-Left on 19th February

The present tenure of the JNUSU, the leadership of which is divided between SFI-AISF and the ultra-Left AISA, has seen two starkly different approaches towards the student movement. In the month of November, last year, the JNUSU along with some concerned student activists had raised the issue of violation of minimum wages for contract workers at various construction sites in JNU. A memorandum was submitted to this effect to the administration, which came out with only a halfhearted response and refused to take the matter seriously. A movement was gradually building up when things took an ugly turn because of an adventurist act by the ultra-Left.

On 19th February 2007, a demonstration called by the JNUSU was converted into a sudden gherao of the Registrar inside his car. On the Registrar’s instruction, posters demanding minimum wages for workers had been torn off from the administration block the same morning. The car of the Registrar was tied up with a rope while he was inside it, black paint smeared on it, posters pasted on the car and its tyres deflated. One student even climbed above the car and shouted slogans. Ultra-Left activists from the AISA (ML-Liberation) and the DSU (Maoists) took the lead in the gherao. The JNUSU office-bearers and other activists of the SFI-AISF, who did not participate in this action, couldn’t however prevent it from happening. Following the gherao, teachers from different departments came to appeal to the students to release the Registrar. They talked to the JNU administration and assured dialogue with students on the minimum wage issue. However, in characteristic ultra-Left style, they were called dalals of the administration and humiliated. It was indeed very unfortunate that teachers, who have always been the democratic ally of the JNU students in struggles against anti-student moves by the administration, were treated with such contempt. Ultimately, the gherao was lifted after 6 hours. This incident marked a new low in the politics of JNU.

However, rather than realizing the extent of adventurism that they had indulged in, a hunger strike was started on the same night and a flash strike called the next morning demanding an ‘apology’ from the JNU Administration for tearing off posters. The flash strike saw another round of ugly episodes with the teaching community. Pamphlets celebrating the gherao and calling the teaching community ‘arrogant’ were distributed in the campus. Things were moving in a dangerous direction. The JNU Teacher’s Association came out with an urgent appeal to the administration as well as the students not to precipitate matters. The JNUSU office-bearers and councillors from SFI-AISF demanded an immediate Council Meeting of the JNUSU to consider the appeal issued by the JNUTA. With the General Secretary of the JNUSU from the AISA squarely refusing to call a meeting of the JNUSU Council, the SFI-AISF decided to dissociate from the ongoing agitation. This dissociation was blithely labelled by the ultra-Left as ‘betrayal’ of workers’ rights.

The JNU administration wasted no time in cracking down on the students. Suspension orders were served to 10 students including the JNUSU President and Joint Secretary from the SFI-AISF. Some karamcharis who had participated in the agitation were also suspended. Crass adventurism displayed by the ultra-Left on 19th February in JNU created a tense atmosphere in the campus. It was in this backdrop that the SFI-AISF took the lead in salvaging the situation. At the behest of the SFI-AISF, a formal Council Meeting of the JNUSU held on 23rd February resolved to express regret for the 19th February incident (AISA representatives abstained on the resolution). This was followed by a massive Joint Public Meeting of the JNUSU, JNUTA, JNU Karmachari Association and JNU Officers’ Association to reaffirm the democratic traditions of JNU and demanded the withdrawal of the suspension orders served against the students and karamcharis. The meeting was addressed by several senior faculty members including Profs. Prabhat Patnaik, Jayati Ghosh, CP Chandrashekhar, Kamal Mitra Chenoy, Anuradha Chenoy, Purushottam Agarwal, Arun Kumar, Vivek Kumar, Ranjini Majumdar, Vikas Rawal, K.J.Mukherjee and Chamanlal (who is the JNUTA President). All the faculty members criticized the gherao of the Registrar and urged upon the JNUSU and the students not to precipitate matters. While upholding the legitimacy of the struggle for ensuring minimum wages for workers, the faculty members said that struggles in JNU have to be conducted in keeping with the democratic ethos of the university. Prof. Prabhat Patnaik said that JNU is a premier institution of higher learning in the country which is leading the intellectual battle against neoliberalism and imperialism. Nothing should be done to vitiate the impeccable academic environment in the campus and weaken the institution.

Correcting the Aberration

The JNUSU office-bearers from the SFI-AISF argued that the incident of 19th February was an
unfortunate aberration in the student movement. Numerous movements have been conducted in JNU under the SFI-AISF led JNUSU in the past where democratic forms of protest have, without an exception, led to fulfilment of the demands being raised. Significant struggles were waged over the past few years through democratic means; for building more hostels, constituting the GSCASH, rejection of the X Plan Proposals, enhancing the MCM scholarship etc; all of which were successful in mobilizing large sections of students and other sections of the university community and finally compelling the administration to concede the legitimate demands of the students. Indulging in adventurist acts in the name of protest has never been the tradition of the JNU student movement. Such acts indulged in by handful of students discredit the student movement, undermine its legitimacy, isolate the JNUSU from other sections of the university community and strengthen the hands of the administration. The worst
form of such reckless adventurism was seen in 1983, which led to the eventual sine die closure of the university, for which the JNU student movement had to pay a heavy price.

It was precisely for this reason that the SFI-AISF decided to take the initiative to make a course correction and bring the student movement back on track. The JNU administration initially constituted a three-member committee of Professors to deal with the entire matter. Out of the 10 students who were suspended, 6 expressed regret over the 19th February incident through individual letters, reiterating the JNUSU Council resolution. Based on this, their suspensions were withdrawn on 7th March. The DSU initially defied the JNUSU Council Resolution and took a position that they would not express regret over the incident. A University General Body Meeting (which is the highest decision making body of students as per the JNUSU Constitution) held on 8th March endorsed the JNUSU resolution expressing regret and rejected the DSU position of not expressing regret for the 19th February incident. After the UGBM, the DSU made a volte-face and submitted letters of regret to the administration on 13th March. This opportunistic posturing of the DSU did not go down well within the student community. However, the JNUSU office-bearers from SFI-AISF took the position that no disciplinary action should be taken by the administration after the students have expressed regret. The suspensions of the remaining 4 students were withdrawn on 16th March 2007. The SFI-AISF also took a position that in view of the regret expressed collectively by the JNUSU Council, the UGBM as well as the individual students who were suspended, there was no case for a separate Proctorial enquiry into the matter.

Administration’s high-handedness Meets Resistance

Though the suspension orders were revoked, the JNU administration had not abandoned its intention of coming down heavily on the student movement using the 19th February incident as a pretext. Despite the regret expressed by the JNUSU Council, the UGBM and individually by the students concerned, the administration rusticated 8 students and imposed a fine of Rs. 2000 each on three JNUSU office bearers. This order was served on 22nd June during the summer vacations as part of a well thought out plan by the administration. The ABVP and the Youth For Equality, true to their reactionary and anti-student character, came out in open support of the administration’s action and even went to the extent of demanding harsher punishment for the JNUSU office-bearers. In this backdrop, the JNUSU under the leadership of the SFI-AISF, launched an immediate agitation against the high-handedness of the administration arguing that after the expressions of regret both collectively and individually by students, such harsh punishments were totally unacceptable.

A relay hunger strike was started on 23rd June demanding revocation of punishments as well as the fulfilment of the long pending students’ charter of demands, including workers’ rights. The understanding behind combining these two issues was that the administration had come out with these punishments precisely to scuttle the positive agenda of the JNUSU. The Charter of demands included increasing the amount of MCM scholarship for B.A/M.A./M.Sc/M.C.A students from Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1500, to ensure that the scholarships announced by the UGC for research scholars be given with retrospective effect from July 2005, to bring gender violence under the purview of the GSCASH, to democratise the Equal Opportunity Office, to accept aleemeyat/fazeelat certificates for admissions to B.A 1st year, to build a mechanism to ensure minimum wages for workers and some other demands. After 6 days of relay hunger strike, the administration far from relenting went ahead and implemented the punishments by double-locking the rooms of the rusticated students. The JNUSU decided to intensify the agitation in response and an indefinite hunger strike was started from the night of 30th June led by the President of the JNUSU.

The JNU administration initially adopted a tough posture and the VC held a press conference to justify the punishments on the basis of the 19th February incident, conveniently avoiding any mention of the regret expressed by the JNUSU, the UGBM and the individual students. This created widespread discontent against the administration within the university community. The administration had clearly underestimated the strength of the JNU student movement and the goodwill and support it enjoys both within and outside the campus. The agitation gathered momentum, when a host of former JNUSU office-bearers, including former JNUSU President Sitaram Yechury came to JNU and addressed a massive public meeting in solidarity with the agitation on 7th July. Other former JNUSU office bearers who addressed that meeting were D. P. Tripathi, Prof. Anand Kumar, Prof. Ajay Patnaik, Amit Sengupta, Kavita Krishnan and Albeena Shakil. All the speakers drew instances from their own experiences as office-bearers of the JNUSU and upheld the legitimacy of the present agitation. They argued that the strength and maturity of the student movement of JNU was that it could correct itself on its own if any mistakes were committed in the course of a struggle, without any ‘external’ correctives like disciplinary actions by the administration. In a move that enthused the student community of JNU, Sitaram Yechury while commending the JNUSU for having expressed regret on the unfortunate incident of 19th February, gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the administration to open dialogue with the JNUSU; otherwise he said that the matter will no longer remain within the confines of JNU and would become a national issue. He also said that while at times an eagle may fly lower than a hen; a hen could never attain the towering heights, which an eagle can. “The JNUSU is the eagle and the administration is the hen”, said Com. Yechury amidst thunderous applause. Within 48 hours the JNU administration opened dialogue with the JNUSU.

Struggle Culminates Successfully

On the 12th day of the indefinite hunger strike after three days of prolonged dialogue, the administration was compelled to agree to the just demands of the JNUSU. In the agreement signed with the JNUSU, the administration has agreed that all the rusticated students would be given registration by 14th August (last day of registration for monsoon semester) on the basis of an appeal expressing regret. This agitation also succeeded in making substantial gains vis-à-vis the students’ charter of demands. The JNU administration has agreed in principle to start the M.Phil/PhD scholarship with effect from July 2005 and would pursue the matter with the UGC. The MCM scholarship for B.A/M.A./MCA/M.SC students has been increased to Rs.1500 per month from Rs.1000 per month and the family income cap for eligibility for MCM scholarship has been raised from Rs.75000 per annum to Rs. 1 lakh per annum. The issue of inclusion of gender violence in the purview of the GSCASH in the light of the Domestic Violence Bill has been sent for discussions at the School level. The administration has also agreed to set up a permanent body comprising students, teachers and karamcharis to monitor and ensure minimum wages for all casual workers. The recommendations of the equivalence committee for recognition of madarsa certificates in JNU will be pursued with the HRD Ministry by the administration. The process of democratising the Equal Opportunity Office will also be expedited. All these achievements were registered despite a nefarious attempt by the NSUI to
sabotage the agreement between the JNUSU and the administration at the last moment through backdoor manipulations.

As far as the fines imposed upon the JNUSU office-bearers are concerned, the SFI-AISF has taken the position that they should be revoked unconditionally. The ultra-Left, including the General Secretary of the JNUSU from AISA, insisted that the JNUSU office-bearers should also express regret once again in writing. The SFI-AISF has rejected this position on the basis of three arguments: (i) The JNUSU office-bearers have already communicated to the administration in writing the JNUSU Council resolution expressing regret on the 19th February incident. The UGBM, which is the highest decision making body of the students, have also collectively expressed regret. There is no reason why the JNUSU office-bearers should express regret individually once again. (ii) The fines imposed upon the JNUSU office-bearers are on the grounds that they were ‘unable to control the situation’ while those who were rusticated have been held responsible for specific acts like deflating the tyre of the Registrar’s car, tainting the car with black paint, using abusive language and instigating students for the act. It is clear that the JNUSU office-bearers were not personally involved in any of the adventurist acts on 19th February in any way — they have been fined only because they are JNUSU office-bearers. (iii) The AISA and the DSU had initially celebrated the 19th February gherao as an act of heroism and it was only after the initiative taken by the JNUSU office-bearers from the SFI-AISF and the appeal issued by the JNUTA that they realized their folly. AISA abstained from voting in the JNUSU Council on the resolution expressing regret. While they subsequently changed their position in the UGBM and stood by the Council resolution, the DSU opposed the Council resolution terming it a sell-out to the administration and refused to express any regret. It was only after their line was rejected by the UGBM that they made a volte-face and submitted letters of regret, that too for ‘inconvenience caused, if any’. In contrast, the SFI-AISF has taken a principled position right from the beginning that the 19th February incident was an aberration, argued for expressing regret for the same and held that any disciplinary action following the expression of regret would be unacceptable and fought tooth and nail. After having walked the talk, there is absolutely no question of the JNUSU office-bearers expressing regret once again. In fact SFI-AISF is also opposed to the General Secretary of the JNUSU from AISA submitting a regret letter, which for some strange reason he himself wants to do. The JNUSU officebearers, being elected representatives of the student community, have to defend the sanctity of their office against efforts by the administration to browbeat them.

Sd/-
Rajiv Kumar Ranjan, Secretary, SFI-JNU.

Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, AISF-JNU.

SFI Release Against the Communal Postering of ABVP

Defeat communal fascist politics of the RSS-ABVP!!

Uphold secular ethos of the campus!! (July 21, 2007)

A poster put up in the canteen of SSS-II by the ABVP, true to the communal fascist tradition of the RSS, shows a map of India being tied with barbed wires by two stereotypical Muslim men on both sides. The poster goes completely against the secular culture of the campus and is highly condemnable.

This kind of a poster, however, is not unexpected from an organisation like the ABVP, whose parent organisations – the RSS-BJP have carried out their fascistic designs on minorities in India ever since their formation. Nothing better can be expected from the ideology that demolished the Babri Masjid, brutally murdered Australian missionary Graham Stains and his two minor sons, attacked Churches in Gujarat and Orissa and carried out the bloody carnage of Muslims in Gujarat.

The poster is another example of the communal hatred rooted in the ideology of the Sangh Parivar, articulated by none less than the former long serving RSS supremo M.S. Golwalkar way back in 1939 in a book titled, "We or our Nationhood Defined". He wrote “the foreign races in Hindustan must either adopt the Hindu culture and language, must learn to respect and hold in reverence Hindu religion, must entertain no idea but those of the glorification of the Hindu race and culture, i.e., of the Hindu nation and must lose their separate existence to merge in the Hindu race, or may stay in the country, wholly subordinated to the Hindu Nation, claiming nothing, deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment -- not even citizen's rights.”
The text of the poster on the other hand is extremely ironical, which says “Save North East’s demography & unique culture from illegal Bangladeshi infiltration.” This shedding of crocodile’s tears for the North East would certainly have enraged Golwalkar, who propagated that there should be no tolerance for any unique culture, or any culture other than ‘Hindu culture” for that matter.

The secular consciousness of the students of JNU has defeated the communal fascist politics of the RSS-ABVP time and again. SFI appeals to the student community to be vigilant against any attempt to disturb the secular and progressive ethos of the campus.

SFI GBM

SFI GBM

Agenda: 1) Review of the Agitation

2) Any other Matter

22/07/07 (Sunday) Periyar Mess 9.30 pm

All members and sympathizers are requested to attend!!

In Memory

SFI-JNU dips its flag in the memory of Comrade Ajay Prasad, the Karunagapally Area Committee Joint Secretary in Kerala, who was brutally murdered by RSS-BJP goons on Thursday. On Thursday evening, 5 RSS and ABVP goons attacked Ajay who was a Higher Secondary School student. He was admitted to Thiruvanathapuram Medical College with severe injuries where he l atersuccumbed to his injuries on Friday morning. Comrade Ritobroto Banerjee, SFI’s All India Joint Secretary leader, informed that the attack by the Sangh brigade was on the issue of hoisting SFI flag at the gate of Higher Secondary School at Kalappana. He was killed while carrying out membership campaign for SFI. SFI demands that all the culprits in the incident be brought to book and joins in paying homage to the martyr's soul. The Kerala SFI has called for a student strike in the State in protest of this heinous incident. The SFI Central Committee also expressed its deep regret at the incident.

Admissions

Comrades, the Admissions of new students for the new Academic Year started in JNU yesterday with the first group being the BA students. While there was a good number of people from our side, especially from School of Languages, there is scope of improvement in terms raising their strength.

Opening Up

Comrades, this is the first post on the blog of our organization in JNU. In the coming days, more posts, especially concerning our propaganda materials will be updated here on a regular basis.