JNUSU-SIS Annual School GBM Reporting

STUDENTS' UNITED SHALL ALWAYS BE VICTORIOUS!!

JNUSU-SIS Convenor's Report (2006-07) presented and passed in the Annual School GBM on 4th Oct, '07

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union
School of International Studies

Annual School GBM - Convenor’s Report

Friends,

On behalf of the JNUSU-SIS council, I welcome you all to the annual school GBM of SIS. In accordance with the democratic traditions of JNU, every year the JNUSU, at the level of each school, presents a report of its functioning of the last one year before handing over the charge to the democratically elected Election Committee. In keeping with the traditions of linking the JNUSU to the broader struggles being waged in our country as well as having an informed debate on international issues along with raising genuine students’ issues at the level of the university and the school, this report is divided in three sections. Section I deals with the international situation, section II deals with the national situation and section III with the campus and school situation.

1. International Situation

We are holding this annual school GBM in the backdrop of two contradictory trends at work at the international level today: the continuing efforts of the US to extend its hegemony and intensify unipolarity in the world, and the counter currents to US imperialism - of resistance and multi-polarity. Over the last one year we have seen significant developments in both these trends.

The ongoing war against Iraq, where millions of people have lost their lives, has been further discredited this year, both within the US and internationally, with the popularity of George Bush plummeting to an all time low, especially on the issue of withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Despite attempts by the US occupation forces in Iraq to divide the nation, the people of Iraq have shown extreme courage and determination in turning Iraq into another Vietnam for the US. Even George W Bush was compelled to accept the Iraq-Vietnam comparison this year. That this war is eventually turning into an Achilles’ heel for George Bush is evident from the fact that his closest ally in this war, UK, under immense pressure from its own people, has been continually cutting down its troops from southern Iraq since February this year. In fact the pet ally of the US, Tony Blair, had to resign from the post of Prime Ministership in the middle of his term. Similar has been the fate of other allies of the US like Japan where Shinzo Abe, who was also forced to prematurely resign as PM. For Bush junior himself, the home turf has become very difficult. The former Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan, a Republican, recently exposed the Bush administration by writing in his autobiography that:

I thought the issue of weapons of mass destruction as the excuse [for the Iraq war] was utterly beside the point... I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil…From a rational point of view, I cannot understand why we don’t name what is evident and indeed a wholly defensible pre-emptive position. [Emphasis added]

The politically motivated execution of Saddam Hussein this year after farcical court proceedings brings out clear the motivations of the Bush regime and his allies. The execution of Saddam Hussein clearly betrayed the mentality of revenge rather than justice. Greenspan is again quite candid in his expression of discontent with the Saddam regime in Iraq when he argues that Saddam wanted to control the Straits of Hormuz and therefore the control of West Asia oil shipments through the vital route out of the Gulf. He further says that had Saddam been able to do that it would have brought the ‘industrial world to its knees’ because it could have just shut off 5-million barrels of oil a day to the west, a resource which is indispensable for the functioning of the US economy.

Despite such a situation, Bush had not left any stone unturned in announcing his next target - Iran. With only a few months left in the office as the President of US, it is indeed alarming the way he has sought to link Iran with destabilisation in Iraq and is targeting Iran for the next US invasion. The Iranian attempt to develop civilian nuclear technologies to meet their energy needs has been rebuffed by the US again on the false pretext of ‘hidden’ motive of developing nuclear bombs even though Iran is a signatory to the NPT. Along with Iran, the targeting of Syria is testimony to the ulterior imperialist designs of the US to control the entire West Asian region which has such massive reserves of oil. The United States’ attempt to press ahead with the deployment of the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) system in the name of anticipating ballistic missile threats from Iran and North Korea is another instance of a strategic advancement of US military hegemony in the world through encroachments in the regions of Central Europe, the Caucasus and the Asia-Pacific region, targeted primarily at Russia and China.

Meanwhile, the brutality of the Israeli aggression on Palestine and its people continues unabated, with Israel banking on the increased division building up between the political forces in Palestine. With the flare up of hostilities between the Hamas and the Fatah, and the Fatah taking over the Gaza strip, the unity government has collapsed. This has provided further opportunity for US-Israel intervention in the region and is a cause of concern. As part of weakening the Arab resistance against Israel, Washington is also trying to manipulate the situation in Lebanon in order to weaken and neutralize the role played by Hezbollah.

Despite this attempt of the US and its allies for a growing hegemony over the world, there is a possibility of multi-polarity shaping up which was reflected at the recent controversial G8 summit. There were massive demonstrations and protests at the G8 Summit in Germany this year. Despite the election of a right wing candidate, Nicholas Sarkozy as the president of France and a pro-US chancellor of Germany, the G8 Summit was unable to provide a clear path forward in resolutions on the future status of Kosovo, the Middle East or the nuclear issue pertaining to Iran and North Korea. The US volte-face on climate change by agreeing at the G8 to a global policy being set within the United Nations framework, underlined the multilateral imperatives in the resolution on global issues.

There is a hope for an alternative building up through peoples’ movement in the Latin American countries, an alternative to the economic policies that lead to a situation where there is concentration of power and wealth at one end and misery all around. Chavez, Lula, Correa and Ortega have all emerged victorious with more than 60 percent votes in their respective countries. Resistance to US imperialism is coming strongly from the ‘axis of good’ of Castro, Chavez and Morales. While Chavez has already announced the nationalization of oil reserves of Venezuela, Morales has adopted a radical land reform law both marking a significant step towards an alternative economy policy to the neo-liberal policy package of the IMF-WB. The revival of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union where the Latin American countries are playing a crucial role is an indicator of an alternative pole emerging in the global scenario.

Coming closer home, the South Asian region is going through tumultuous times. Bangladesh army is tightening its control and curbing democratic rights. It has virtually arrested and jailed the entire political opposition in Bangladesh. The military authorities have postponed elections to the Parliament indefinitely. This development is extremely disturbing. In Sri Lanka, the hostilities continue and the prospects for peace have receded further. In Pakistan, President Musharraf is facing growing opposition and erosion of his authority. This opposition is coming from initiatives in civil society as well as from political parties. As a challenge to the monarchy in Nepal, the peoples’ resistance culminated in an agreement between the Maoists and the seven party alliance to restore democracy in November last year. But this agreement has again run into rough weather over the issue of abolition of monarchy. The people of Myanmar are struggling for restoration of democracy against the military junta. The repression unleashed by the military government on peaceful protest marches is most condemnable. However, the persistent protests over the last few days show a deep desire of the people of Burma (Myanmar) for restoration of democracy and a better life. We express solidarity with all these peoples’ movements which are being waged to restore democracy in their respective countries.

The Glasgow Airport terrorist strike made it evident that ‘acts of terror’ and the ‘war against terror’ feed into each other. While the terrorists cite the war as the reason for their terrorist acts, the US and its allies cite terrorist acts as the basis for their war. At this juncture it is all the more necessary for all democratic and peace loving people of the world to reaffirm their commitment to ‘No War, No Terror’. The arrest and denial of work permit to Mohammed Haneef in Australia exposed the extent of islamophobia in the world today. However, his ultimate release through public outcry in Australia and diplomatic efforts by the Indian government is a matter of relief. The matter of restoring his visa is still pending in the courts.

In this situation of growing polarization between global hegemony of the US and growth of alternatives and peoples’ resistance in different parts of the world, the move by the Indian government to forge enduring strategic ties with the US would contribute to strengthening unipolarity in the world. The betrayal of the Non-Alignment Policy by India, the largest democracy in the world, would go a long way in strengthening the hands of the US. It is up to the people of India to unite to prevent the Indian government from doing damage to India’s independent foreign policy and our time tested solidarity with third world countries, and strengthen the anti-imperialist legacy of the Indian peoples’ struggle for independence.

2. National Situation

The situation in our country is exactly poised at this question at the moment when the UPA government is going to make a paradigmatic departure from our long standing principle of non-alignment to being a strategic partner of US imperialism. The Indo-US nuclear deal is a culmination of this approach. When the UPA government came to power in the backdrop of the defeat of the BJP-led NDA, there were three main benchmarks of the National Common Minimum Programme: to keep the communal forces at bay, to pursue economic policies in favour of the poor and to pursue an independent foreign policy. After three and a half years of UPA rule, the government is showing failings on all accounts.

The NCMP of the UPA categorically states that: “The UPA government will pursue an independent foreign policy keeping in mind its past traditions. This policy will seek to promote multi-polarity in world relations and oppose all attempts at unilateralism.” There is no mention of any strategic relations or partnership with the US. However, the UPA Government has tried, since its inception, to circumvent and breach this important provision of the NCMP and continue with the NDA Government’s policy of deepening India’s strategic ties with the US and become its subordinate ally.

For the first time in the history of our country, the Government of India has signed a deal which is subordinate to the law of another country, the Hyde Act. The basic tenet of the Hyde act is that the foreign policy of India has to be in congruence with the foreign policy of the US, and will be vetted each year through a report by the US President to the US Congress. The continuation of the civil nuclear co-operation of the US with India will depend upon satisfying the US on a yearly basis. Contrary to the claims made by the Indian government that the Nuclear Deal must be viewed on a stand alone basis, the July 2005 Joint Statement of the Indian Prime Minister and the American President reveals that the co-operation between the two countries is political, economic, military, as well as nuclear. The cooperation also entails promoting ‘global democracy’, revamping the Indian economy to facilitate large scale investment by the United States, and strategic military collaboration. The UPA government has also signed a ten-year Defence Framework Agreement with the United States. This framework agreement states, “US-India defence relationship derives from common belief in freedom, democracy and the rule of law and seeks to advance shared security interests.” Is it certainly not in our national interest to join the USA in its military misadventures around the globe to establish ‘democracy’, American style!

The recommendations of the Indo-US Joint CEO forum have also been endorsed by the Indian Prime Minister and the US President in their Joint Statement. This forum was set up with a mandate to “develop a strategic economic partnership” between the two countries and had representatives like global looters Monsanto and Wal-Mart. Out of the first set of 30 recommendations by this forum, 21 comprise of demands by the US industry to open up the Indian market. They want FDI in retail trade, insurance, education sector and also opening up of the financial sector. On the unemployment front, the FDI in retail would be the biggest reason for displacement of unemployed youth from the unorganized retail sector which at the moment provides the second highest proportion of employment in our country. The overall compromise of our sovereignty and independent foreign policy is already evident from India’s vote against Iran in the IAEA and the virtual abandonment of the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline by India. The Indo-US strategic partnership is also a roadmap for a compromise of our independent domestic economic policy.

When this Government came to power, it also made a promise to implement more pro-people economic policies to provide relief to the people of India. But the present government has fallen into the same trap of the ‘shining’ India campaign based on stock market growth. Recently, in keeping with the recommendations of the Indo-US Joint CEO Forum, the Finance Minister announced in the United States that FDI will be allowed in Retail along with opening up our financial sector to foreign capital.

In total betrayal to their NCMP promises, the UPA had gone ahead with signing an agreement in 2005 with America. Under it a joint committee has already been set up which from the American side has representatives of the global looters Monsanto and Wal-Mart. These companies want to take over crucial markets like the seeds market and also agribusinesses in India. Moreover, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) which was enacted to specially address the unemployment issue is also facing a scaling down despite all the claims made to the contrary. The SEZ act is also a pointer towards the anti-people policies of the government. We oppose the provisions of the SEZ act and rules which make the labour laws not applicable in these regions or give tax sops or complete exemptions to the corporate houses.

The agrarian distress in our country is growing to alarming proportions with the number of farmer suicides surpassing all limits, a total dismantling of the Public Distribution System (PDS) but the present government has not shown any seriousness to address these issues. It is indeed strange that when the farmers in our country are facing so much distress, the government has decided to import wheat in the wake of failure to procure adequate amount of wheat and that too at a price much higher than what it has paid to our farmers. According to the Arjun Sengupta Commission report around 77 per cent of India’s population is earning less than 20 rupees a day but this large section is excluded from social benefits by faulty methods of poverty estimation which peg poverty at a meagre 311 rupees a month and the most alarming part is that it is happening in a country which has the most malnourished people in the world!

On the other hand, on important bills like the Women’s Reservation Bill or the Tribals’ Bill the UPA has reneged on its promises. While the Women’s Reservation Bill has not even been introduced in the parliament leave alone ensuring its passage, the Government has refused to even notify the Rules for the Tribal Bill. We also condemn the BJP for its betrayal of the struggle for women’s reservation by its announcement that it would not support reservation of seats for women.

The Sethusamudram project has apparently snowballed into a political problem where the BJP-RSS are using this as an opportunity to revive their Hindutva card just as what it did during the Babri Masjid issue. The biggest hypocrisy of BJP-RSS is exposed from the fact it is they who has themselves initiated the project when they were in power. All scientific evidence shows that it is only a natural geological formation. But what is alarming is that instead of taking the BJP head on, the Congress is succumbing to this pressure when instead of withdrawing just the objectionable sections in the affidavit, the entire affidavit filed by the ASI on this issue was withdrawn.

Another instance of this dilly dallying approach in fighting the communal propaganda is the inordinate delay in implementing the recommendations of the Sachar Committee which was made to look into the economic conditions of the minorities. The BJP, true to its communal politics, opposed these recommendations vehemently by arguing that this was minority appeasement and the Congress has once again succumbed under the pressure from the BJP. The Left parties, on the other hand, have demanded that the Government declare a sub-plan for minority communities with specific allocations on the lines of tribal sub-plan. Although a budget announcement was made that 20,000 merit cum means scholarships were being given to minority community students it has been revealed by subsequent Government circulars that not only has the scheme not yet been implemented but it is expected to be done only by March-September 2008, that is two years after it was announced. The Left Parties have also demanded inclusion of Muslim and Christian dalits in the scheduled caste lists.

The RSS-BJP in the meantime is carrying on with its policy of communal polarization in the country. During the Uttar Pradesh elections in April this year, the BJP circulated a CD in its campaign containing hate campaign against the Muslim community. The people of Uttar Pradesh taught the BJP a lesson for indulging in such hate campaign by reducing their number of seats.

Meanwhile Gujarat continues to be the hotbed of communal fascism in the country. The murder in a fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh reveals the lawlessness of the authorities and the shocking state of affairs under the Modi government. The BJP Government’s shameful communal stance provides the cover for delinquent police officers to kill innocent people with no fear of questions being asked as long as they are termed terrorists and as long as they belong to the minority community. Continuing with its fascistic agenda in Gujarat we are witnessing fascistic intolerance unleashed by the `cultural’ vigilantes of the RSS. The incident of vandalism perpetrated by the VHP activists in Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara, a clear example of the intolerance of the RSS-BJP. The attack on the writer Tasleema Nasreen also goes against the democratic and secular character of the Indian polity.

There have been a number of incidents of communal violence occurring in various parts of the country. There has been violence in Gorakhpur, Jabalpur and earlier in Bangalore. Some other incidents have taken place in Tirur in Kerala and Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh and more recently in Allahabad and Agra. All these are a fall out of the BJP’s aggressive Hindutva posturing.

Our stand on other important issues

Land Struggle in Andhra Pradesh: The people of Andhra Pradesh under leadership of the Left are waging a historic struggle demanding their right to land and home, which has been consistently denied by the Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh. We express complete solidarity with the struggling people of Andhra Pradesh. It is however most shameful that instead of discussing and settling the issues, the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh resorted to brutal attacks against the people, whereby 8 people were shot dead by the AP police using AK 47 rifles. We strongly condemn the police brutalities in AP and demand that the demand of the people for their land be met forthwith.

Caste violence in Khairlanji: The incident of caste violence in Khairlanji where four dalits were killed in full public view acts as a grim reminder to the barbarism that still exists in our society. The `provocation' for the bestial killings was that Bhaiyalal Bhotmange's wife, daughter, and two sons were educated and asserted their right to a life of dignity despite their poverty. That incidents like Khairlanji, Gohana or Jhajjhar or numerous such incidents that go unreported are happening in the 21st century are a pointer towards a very deteriorating nature of our society.

Fratricidal violence: Fratricidal violence was witnessed in Assam where the terrorist organization ULFA resorted to murder against the migrant population particularly from Bihar, which killed 30 people. We strongly condemn such violence based on ethnic lines.

Against terrorist attacks in the country: Numerous incidents of terrorist violence occurred in the last one year. The acts of terrorism that have been perpetrated in Hyderabad recently where two bomb blasts led to a death of 42 people and scores injured is highly deplorable. Before that there was a terrorist strike on the Samjhauta express resulting in the death of many people. All efforts should be made to counter such heinous attacks on innocent people. However, by using the issue of terrorism, the security forces target the minority community. The revelations of false encounters in Jammu & Kashmir in which innocent people were branded as terrorists and killed in cold blood are shocking. Five cases of innocent persons being shot as terrorists by the police and army have come to light. The fact that such killings were motivated by greed for reward and promotions shows the degeneration which has set-in in sections of the forces of law and order.

On Judicial overreach: The recent judgment of the Supreme Court declaring the bandh called by many parties demanding the implementation of the Sethusamudram project illegal is highly objectionable. This is a clear judicial encroachment on the right to strike. The judicial intervention in the case of staying the OBC reservation has also been extremely unfortunate. In spite of the fact that the parliament unanimously passed a law for implementing OBC reservation in all central government institutions, the Supreme Court has stayed the law. The Delhi High Court sent to jail 4 journalists of Midday for questioning the honesty of Ex-Chief Justice of Supreme Court, which is contradictory to the right to freedom of expression. In another wrong and baseless verdict the Allahabad High Court ruled that Muslims in Uttar Pradesh cannot be treated as minorities. Another judge of the same court ruled very recently that every citizen of the country must follow Gita which is a complete travesty of secularism. Such pronouncements on the part of the judiciary will only reduce its standing within the people.

On Nandigram: 14 people died in Nandigram on 14th March due to the confrontation between the police and violent agitators. The police firing is highly unfortunate and deplorable because poor people have lost their lives. It is particularly disturbing because it has happened under the Left Front Government, which is committed to the cause of the working people. The Left Front Government must ensure that such incidents of police firing do not occur in future.

The police firing on 14th March is regrettable, but the culpability of the opposition parties in West Bengal, namely the Trinamool Congress, the BJP, the Congress, SUCI and naxalites cannot be overlooked.

3. Campus Situation

3.1 The achievements of the JNUSU

The JNU Students' Union 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. 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. The JNU administration had used the incident of 19th February as a pretext to come down heavily on the student movement of JNU by rusticating 8 students and imposing a fine on three office bearers of the JNUSU.
The achievements of this agitation vis-à-vis these issues are as follows:

3.1.1 Rustication of 8 students and fines on Office bearers: The administration was forced to withdraw the rustication of these 8 students though it reneged on its commitment because it imposed a fine of Rs 2000/- on each of these students after revoking the rustications. The General Secretary, however, did a volte face and broke the unity of the Students’ union and submitted a letter of regret to the JNU administration to get his fine revoked. The same General Secretary who had hesitation in expressing regret before the student community was more than willing to fall on his knees before the administration. The administration was, however, forced to revoke the fines on the President and Joint Secretary of the JNUSU unconditionally after they saw another struggle building up against the high-handedness of the administration.

3.1.2 M.Phil/PhD Scholarships: Based on our demand, the JNU administration had agreed in principle to start the M.Phil/PhD scholarship with effect from July 2005 and to pursue the matter with the UGC. This matter is still pending since the scholarships have started from April 2007 only and further struggles are required at the level of the UGC to ensure that these scholarships are given from July 2005.

3.1.3 MCM Scholarships: Our demand to increase the MCM scholarships from Rs.1000 to Rs.1500 per month for the B.A/M.A./M.Sc/MCA students has been met and the income cap for these scholarships has been increased from 75000 to 1 lakh. Both these measures would come into retrospective effect after the next Academic Council Meeting due any time this semester.

3.1.4 Inclusion of gender violence under the purview of GSCASH: There have been increasing cases of gender violence, domestic violence being just one part of it but the present rules of GSCASH do not permit it to take action in these cases. Accordingly the proposal of inclusion of gender violence under the purview of GSCASH has been sent to all the centres and schools for discussions and deliberations.

3.1.6 Ensuring Minimum Wages to workers: The administration based on our demand has agreed to set up a permanent committee comprising students, teachers and karmacharis to monitor and ensure minimum wages for all casual workers.

3.1.7 Recognition of Aleemeyat/ Fazeelat certificates: The report of the recommendations of the equivalence committee for recognition of Aleemeyat/ Fazeelat certificates for admissions to B.A 1st year will be pursued with the HRD Ministry.

3.1.8 Democratisation of the Equal Opportunity office: The process of democratising the Equal Opportunity Office has also been expedited.

3.2 Other initiatives of the JNUSU

Apart from leading a historic agitation during the vacations against administrative high-handedness and for fulfilment of demands of the students, the JNUSU over the last one year took a number of initiatives for the betterment of the student community. These are enumerated below:

3.2.1 Initiatives taken on the issue of OBC reservation and social justice: Based on the last year’s successful mobilisation of the students in favour of the OBC reservation and thereby isolating the casteist forces on campus, we had demanded the implementation of 27 % reservation for OBCs and to increase the seats in JNU by 54% to ensure that the quantum of non-reserved seats are not reduced. The JNUSU President called for an Open Meeting of all the students to discuss the issue of reservations following which a Protest Demo was called in the month of January itself. As a result of the consistent pressure of the JNUSU on the Administration the JNU Administration constituted a committee to look into the modalities of implementing 27% OBC reservation with 54% seat increase. Following this an Emergency Academic council of JNU was called which ratified and fully endorsed the policy of 27% OBC reservation with 54% seat increase. This process, however, stopped because of the Supreme Court’s stay order on the issue of OBC reservation, which was most unfortunate. The JNUSU organized protest meeting against the Supreme Court’s stay order on the OBC reservation which was attended by many progressive intellectuals. Following this, the JNUSU also organized an All Party Convention on the issue of the stay order, which was addressed by leaders of many political parties with a large participation of students. In our endeavour to struggle for social justice, the JNUSU mobilized students to be in solidarity with the doctors in AIIMS, who were fighting against caste discrimination. While the issue of OBC reservation is subjudice before the highest court in our country, we are committed to ensure 27% OBC reservation and 54% seat increase in JNU once the Supreme Court endorses the law passed in the Parliament.

3.2.2 Punishment to casteist lumpens in JNU: Last year, a dalit student was brutally beaten up by casteist goons in front of Lohit and Chandrabhaga Hostels. The JNUSU pressurized the Administration to constitute an enquiry into the incident following which Tulsi Ram Committee was constituted. However, the Administration was not making the report public. The JNUSU pressurized the Administration to make the report public, based on which strict punishment was meted out to the casteist goons.

3.2.3 Against rape of a minor girl in campus: Last semester a minor girl of a JNU employee was raped by another employee of our university. The JNUSU mobilized large number of students against the heinous crime and pressurized the Administration and the police to register an FIR against the accused. It also came to the notice of JNUSU that some people were threatening the parents of the victim to withdraw the case. The JNUSU strongly protested against this and pressurized the Administration to institute an enquiry against those who were allegedly threatening the parents of the girl.

3.2.4 On UGC scholarships to research scholars: The JNUSU organized a Protest Demonstration in front of UGC demanding that the cut off date for the UGC scholarships should be July 2005. While there was no positive response from the UGC, the JNUSU also organized a Protest Demonstration against the JNU Administration. Following this, the Administration did not give any concrete assurances on this issue but verbally communicated that the matter will be taken up with the UGC. However, the UGC has not decided on the cut off date. The future JNUSU should take up this issue and appeal to all the concerned VCs of different universities to agree to this demand.

3.2.5 Renovation of library and class rooms: The renovation of the library has started which has been a long standing demand of the students of JNU. The renovation of class rooms in the Schools has been almost completed.

3.2.6 Hostel Crisis and construction of new hostels: Many new students have not got hostel facility this year. The JNUSU intervened to ensure that the Administration provides SR/TR facilities to new students. A Protest Demonstration was held in front of the IHA meeting demanding immediate allotment of hostels to freshers. Following this fresh hostel lists were put up by the Dean of Students. As a long term solution to this problem of hostel crisis, the JNUSU for a long time has been demanding the construction of new hostels. A new hostel of 600 capacity is now coming up opposite Mahi-Mandavi Hostel.

3.2.7 Water crisis: The JNU students have faced acute water crisis in the summers due to the callousness of the Administration. The JNUSU compelled the Administration to provide relief to the students by sending tankers to every hostel. As a long term solution a new pump is being installed in Paschimabad.

3.2.8 Convention against communalism: The JNUSU organized a convention against communalism on the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

3.2.9 Computers, Internet and E-Governance: The entire ground floor of the library is being converted into a computer centre where more than 200 computers will be available for students. E-Governance has been a long pending demand of the student community, on which JNUSU has consistently pressurized the Administration. This semester the Administration has given unique email ids to all students which is a step towards ensuring complete e-governance in the future.

3.2.10 Full fledged bank in JNU: The JNU student branch will be converted into a full-fledged branch by the first week of November.

3.2.11 The JNUSU organized a protest demonstration against the gruesome killings of children in Nithari.

3.2.12 On corporate funding: The JNUSU is opposed to corporate funding in JNU. We believe that corporate funding compromises our academic autonomy and will completely destroy the academic excellence and academics of dissent that JNU is known for. We are committed to struggle to ensure that the Government provides all requisite money to the University.

3.2.13 On Lyngdoh Committee: The JNUSU organized an All Organization Meeting to discuss the issue of Lyngdoh Committee in this year’s JNUSU elections. The consensus that was arrived upon with the active intervention of JNUSU was that the JNUSU elections should be conducted in accordance with the JNUSU constitution, which has been a role model for the entire country; a point which has been noted by Lyngdoh Committee itself.

3.3 Three Approaches to the JNUSU

The present tenure of the JNUSU has, however, seen three starkly different approaches towards the student movement under the leadership of the JNUSU President, General Secretary (and the Vice President who had been virtually absent from the campus during most part of the tenure even before he left the campus) and the main opposition in the union in the form of casteists forces on campus respectively. At one end, there was a trend towards adventurism under the leadership of the JNUSU General Secretary, the final culmination of which was the unfortunate incident of the 19th February. The teachers who had come to diffuse the situation were humiliated and called dalals of the administration. This incident marked a new low in the politics of JNU. This section of the JNUSU, under the leadership of the General Secretary, hailed this act as ‘revolutionary’ while the other section, under the leadership of the JNUSU President, argued sensibly that ‘ends do not justify the means’ and that whatever happened on 19th February was regrettable. An internal corrective was done under the leadership of the JNUSU President to bring the student movement back on its normal path which adhered to democratic forms of protest. The JNUSU Council followed by a UGBM took the political responsibility of expressing regret collectively at this unfortunate incident and calling it an aberration in the student movement of JNU. Numerous movements have been conducted in JNU before led by the JNUSU where democratic forms of protest have, without an exception, led to fulfilment of the demands being raised. 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.

The third approach towards the students union was that of total abdication of responsibility expressed by the casteist forces on campus who were elected in the science schools last year. Not only did they paralyse the students’ union functioning by not attending the students’ union council but they did not raise a single issue of any import even for the schools that they supposedly represented. Because of their irresponsible attitude, neither the convenors of the schools including the science schools could be elected nor could the union decide on its representatives to important committees like GSCASH, CDC etc. We believe that this was a deliberate attempt of these forces to avoid the accountability that they would have had to show to the students of those schools where they were elected from. This utter disregard for democratic institutions like the JNUSU is another approach that the students have been witness to this year.

The JNU Students’ movement stands at a crucial juncture where the students would decide which way it should go. Should it go towards an adventurist and irresponsible path which undermines the democratic forms of protest and strengthens the hands of administration instead in the process? Or should it go towards total inactivity and utter disregard to the democratic institutions of the university? Or should it rather uphold the legacy of democratic struggles waged by the JNUSU and uphold the institutions like the JNUSU? We would appeal to the students to rally behind the alternative which seeks to carry forward the legacy of democratic struggles.

3.3 School Level Issues

3.3.1 The number of international field trips was increased from 8 to 13 this year.

3.3.2 The Annual Sports, Literary and Cultural Festival of the School, SUMMIT 2007 was organized successfully with greater participation of the students and larger fund being allocated by the school administration for the above purpose. Funds for summit were increased to Rs.10000/-. 130 students won awards in various events. Theme was 60 years of independence.

3.3.3 JNUSU-SIS conducted a series of public meetings and talks on various pertinent issues like the Indo-US Nuclear Deal, the domestic situation in Pakistan and West Asia and South Asia, which saw a wider participation of the students.

3.3.4 Taking the historical relations between India and Vietnam forward, on the invitation of JNUSU-SIS, a Vietnamese cultural delegation visited JNU and presented a good performance, thereby reflecting the friendship between both the countries.

3.3.5 Due to the consistent demand by the JNUSU-SIS for better infrastructure in the school, the administration had begun the renovation of bathrooms last year. This process was completed this year.

3.3.6 While one of the Lift cars was replaced last year which was friendly for the physically handicapped, this year the remaining Lift Car was also replaced in a similar manner.

3.3.7 All the water coolers in the school have been cleaned and maintained on regular basis.

3.3.8 The Library committee has agreed for more journals and books though more efforts are required to ensure concrete results.

3.3.9 Registration problems of individual students were resolved.

3.3.10 Rajiv Gandhi fellowship and MCM disbursal was speedy in our school due to efforts by the Council.

3.3.11 3-day West Asia International seminar for which buses from SIS were arranged. This was followed by a seminar in JNU.

Thank you,

Sd/- P.K.Anand, Convenor, JNUSU-SIS Council.

4th October, 2007.