ATTEND IN LARGE NUMBERS!!
VENUE SHIFTED TO ROOM NO. 203, SIS
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
JNUSU Notice on Lyngdoh Committee
28-08-07
Friends,
The HRD Ministry as well as the UGC have sent letters to the JNU Administration urging it to implement the recommendations of the Lyngdoh commission with regard to conduct of the JNUSU elections. The Administration in turn has forwarded the letter to the JNUSU President for a response on behalf of the JNUSU. While the formal response of the JNUSU has to await a consultative process within the student community, certain points should be mentioned at the outset.
- Immediately after the constitution of the Lyngdoh Committee, the JNUSU President who was the Vice-President at that time met the Committee and expressed our views there. In front of the committee the JNUSU opined that the election process in JNU is a unique process where the entire JNUSU as well as the JNUSU Election Committee derives its strength and legitimacy from the student community and not the Administration through a continuous democratic process of debates and discussions. We urged upon the Lyngdoh Committee to consider the JNUSU election process as a model for the entire country. The history of student movement in JNU bears witness to the fact that the JNUSU elections are devoid of the use of money and muscle power which has become a menace in most of the universities of the country.
- In this light, we believe that the JNUSU election process guided by the JNUSU Constitution has no provision for any interference of the JNU Administration. Therefore, the question of any such intervention in our university does not arise.
- It is to the credit of the consciousness of the student community in JNU that any organization using muscle power or money power are democratically rejected by the students, which has ensured that this menace does not infect our campus. The Lyngdoh Committee or the Supreme Court’s concern regarding this becomes irrelevant in the case of our university.
- As per the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee, there is an age limit for students’ to contest elections, which is 28 years for research students. JNU is a campus where majority of the students are research scholars. Hence any imposition of age limit will only exclude a large section of the student community from the democratic process of elections in our university. The committee also proposes 75% minimum attendance to be eligible to contest elections. In our university where no attendance record is officially maintained, with a majority of students being research scholars, this recommendation too is irrelevant in the case of JNU.
- The Lyngdoh committee also recommends that candidates will have only one opportunity to contest the elections for office-bearers. This will completely restrict the democratic rights of candidates to contest for the four office-bearers post one at a time.
- The Committee also recommends that students against whom disciplinary action have been taken by the University authorities cannot contest elections. In the last semester itself we witnessed how the JNU Administration took completely unjustified disciplinary actions against student activists. This recommendation in a sense gives the Administration the opportunity to settle political scores with union leaders.
The JNUSU Elections is one of the defining features of our University which gives our university a unique place in student movement of our country. As has been mentioned earlier, without any recommendation of any committee, the JNU student community showed utmost maturity to contest the election in the most democratic and peaceful manner, never giving any opportunity to either the Administration or the police to interfere in the election process. We are confident that this year too, the JNU students will conduct the elections in the most democratic manner, keeping up to the democratic ethos of our campus leaving no scope for the Administration or any other external agency to intervene. In this light we believe that the JNUSU Election should be conducted according to the JNUSU Constitution. The JNUSU will be shortly starting a broader discussion on this issue. The copies of the letter sent to us by the Government as well as the JNU Administration will be available in the JNUSU office from tomorrow to enable all the organizations and concerned individuals to know all the issues involved and frame their positions vis-à-vis this issue.
Sd/- Dhananjay, President, JNUSU; Jyotsna, Jt.Secy, JNUSU.
Release of Nicholas Burn's Statements in US Senate on Nuke Deal
DOWN WITH THE IMPERIALIST GAMEPLAN OF US!!
OPPOSE THE OPERTATIONALISATION OF THE 123 NUCLEAR AGREEMENT!!
UNITE AGAINST UPA's ABJECT SURRENDER BEFORE BUSH ADMINISTRATION!!
SFI release on Caste Violence in Gohana
DOWN WITH CASTE VIOLENCE!!
PUNISH THE PERPETRATORS ON AN IMMEDIATE BASIS!!
OUR STRUGGLE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE LONG LIVE!!
Monday, August 27, 2007
JNUSU Pamphlet dated 27th Aug '07
Date: 27/08/07
Friends,
Research is of paramount importance in any country especially in the Third World, whereby it ensures that the intellectual self-reliance of the country is maintained. Financial Assistance is an integral part in this whole process wherein research scholars are able to sustain their activities without any worries for the want of monetary support. However, due to the impact of the neo-liberal economic policies, the government had started its retreat from the higher education sector which also resulted in hikes in fees. It is a success of the student movement of JNU under the leadership of JNUSU that in spite of the attack of neo-liberal policies, a low fee structure is maintained in our university. However, in order to take this struggle forward to ensure quality research in the university, the JNUSU raised the issue of financial assistance and fought a historic agitation in 2006. As a result of this struggle the administration was compelled to ensure that the amount of MCM for the BA/MA students was increased to Rs. 1000 and for M.Phil/Ph/.D to Rs. 1500. The administration promised to raise the amount for BA/MA and also raise the annual income cap in due course of time. However, they refused to adhere to this promise and after a 12 day indefinite hunger strike of in last July, the administration was pressurized to raise the amount for BA/MA students also to Rs. 1500 along with raising the income cap to Rs. 1 lakh, thereby bringing to a logical conclusion the long struggle waged by the JNUSU in the enhancement of scholarships for students.
This historic agitation under the leadership of JNUSU had a tremendous impact in the policy making in the education sector, where the JNUSU demonstrated at the UGC office demanding that all M.Phil/Ph.D students in all central universities be provided scholarships to pursue their research. The UGC has already announced this scholarship. After the agitation last month, the JNU administration was forced to principally agree that in the face of the relative autonomy granted to all universities, the cut-off date for the fellowships be fixed from July 2005. However, even days after the agitation, the fellowships have not been disbursed to the students. Moreover, the MCM for the M.Phil/PhD students have been stopped I view of this scholarship leading to financial distress for the students. The JNUSU President today has submitted a letter to the VC demanding immediate disbursal of scholarships to the students, failing which the Administration will have to face demonstrative actions. We appeal to the student community in the coming days to rally behind the JNUSU in pressurizing the administration to act upon this genuine issue.
With regard to the Rajiv Gandhi Fellowships for SC/ST students, the students are required to submit a progress report of their research work in the centre office through their supervisors at the earliest. This has to be done so that the university can send the utilization certificate for the fellowship to the UGC, which is required for the disbursal of the second installment of the Fellowships.
Sd/- Dhananjay, President, JNUSU.
Sd/- Jyotsna, Jt. Secy, JNUSU.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
On Blasts in Hyderabad
DOWN WITH THE NEFARIOUS DESIGNS TO DESTROY OUR UNITY!!
UNITE TO MAINTAIN OUR SECULAR TRADITIONS!!
SFI Pamphlet dated 25th Aug '07
25/08/07
INDO-US NUCLEAR DEAL: WHY THIS SCURRILOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST LEFT?
Friends
THE Left’s opposition to the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal and the associated efforts to draw India into a US-dominated strategic partnership has, naturally, led to a violent reaction from the ruling classes and its media voices. Over the past couple of years, since the first joint statement on strategic partnership released by prime minister Manmohan Singh and US president George Bush in July 2005, the Left has been drawing attention to the dangers of India being turned into a supplicant of US imperialism. Apart from negating the consensual declared objective of pursuing an independent foreign policy, such a partnership with US imperialism has consequent serious implications on India’s defence and security concerns.
The important point that merits consideration here is that instead of meeting the criticism of the deal and its consequences, a scurrilous campaign has been mounted against the Left. US imperialism’s cheer leaders and the drumbeaters of the Indian ruling classes are advancing absurd reasoning of the CPI(M)’s opposition to the deal instead of contesting what we publicly state.
The important point that merits consideration here is that instead of meeting the criticism of the deal and its consequences, a scurrilous campaign has been mounted against the Left. US imperialism’s cheer leaders and the drumbeaters of the Indian ruling classes are advancing absurd reasoning of the CPI(M)’s opposition to the deal instead of contesting what we publicly state.
THE INDO-US NUCLEAR DEAL AND THE ISSUE OF ENERGY :
One such reasoning is that while the government is engaged in this deal for increasing the electricity generation capacity in the country to benefit our farmers and poor people, the CPI(M) is opposing it at the behest of China. This is not unusual for the ruling classes to resort to such obnoxiously low level arguments when their analytical bankruptcy to contest the CPI(M)’s point of view is exposed. Further, the resort to such tactics is also to conceal their unabashed eagerness to ally with US imperialism at the expense of exposing the country’s sovereignty to greater vulnerability.
Let us take up the issue of augmenting India’s energy capacities and generating more electricity. There can be no two opinions on the need to expand our capacities to generate more power. As India develops further, energy augmentation is of utmost importance. The moot question, however, is whether the nuclear energy expansion is the only option, or, even the best option that we have at the moment.
As of 2005, nuclear power generation was 3,310 MW or a mere 2.5 per cent of India’s total power generation capacity. Now, if this were to increase to 10,000 MW by the year 2015 as planned, this would still be only 5 to 7 per cent of India’s projected capacity generation then. Thus, this deal and the attendant consequences to India’s sovereignty and foreign policy are being undertaken for such a miniscule part of our power generation.
This, apart, is nuclear power generation the most cost-effective? On the contrary, it is the most expensive option. As compared to coal, nuclear energy would be one and a half times more expensive. Compared with gas, nuclear power would be twice as expensive. So is the case with hydro electricity. Therefore, by all counts, nuclear power is the most expensive.
The National Hydro Power Corporation has estimated that India has at least 50,000 MW of untapped hydro electric potential. They have estimated that in Nepal, the untapped potential would be higher at 83,000 MW. On the basis of our friendly relations with Nepal and through international agreements, the tapping of such huge hydro electric potential will not only augment our energy capacities at half the cost of nuclear energy, but will also tame these rivers which regularly consume the lives of hundreds of people through torrential floods. This year’s floods have been described by the United Nations as ‘unprecedented’ in human memory.
In addition, India is indiscriminately allowing the export of coal and other non-renewable mineral resources. Instead, if this coal were to be utilised for generating electricity, it would cost us much less than producing nuclear energy.
Given this, the government’s arguments that the Indo-US nuclear deal is to augment our energy resources and to provide electricity to the farmers and poor sounds, indeed, hollow. On the contrary, it appears that as a consequence of this deal, huge commercial orders running into thousands of crores of rupees for the purchase of nuclear reactors would be placed on US and other advanced countries corporations. The profit bonanza to multinational corporations is there for all to see with the attendant benefits to sections of corporate India. Is India then actually going in for this deal to bolster US economic interests? Can we allow this to happen under the false propaganda of benefit to the Indian farmers? If the same amount of resources were to be spent on generating power through hydro or coal, as would be spent on the purchase of nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel, India’s energy augmentation would be many times higher. Thus, the nuclear deal not only exposes India to greater vulnerability on various scores, it drains a huge amount of our scarce resources and, thus, prevents India from exploiting fully its available less expensive energy options. These are the facts.
Let us take up the issue of augmenting India’s energy capacities and generating more electricity. There can be no two opinions on the need to expand our capacities to generate more power. As India develops further, energy augmentation is of utmost importance. The moot question, however, is whether the nuclear energy expansion is the only option, or, even the best option that we have at the moment.
As of 2005, nuclear power generation was 3,310 MW or a mere 2.5 per cent of India’s total power generation capacity. Now, if this were to increase to 10,000 MW by the year 2015 as planned, this would still be only 5 to 7 per cent of India’s projected capacity generation then. Thus, this deal and the attendant consequences to India’s sovereignty and foreign policy are being undertaken for such a miniscule part of our power generation.
This, apart, is nuclear power generation the most cost-effective? On the contrary, it is the most expensive option. As compared to coal, nuclear energy would be one and a half times more expensive. Compared with gas, nuclear power would be twice as expensive. So is the case with hydro electricity. Therefore, by all counts, nuclear power is the most expensive.
The National Hydro Power Corporation has estimated that India has at least 50,000 MW of untapped hydro electric potential. They have estimated that in Nepal, the untapped potential would be higher at 83,000 MW. On the basis of our friendly relations with Nepal and through international agreements, the tapping of such huge hydro electric potential will not only augment our energy capacities at half the cost of nuclear energy, but will also tame these rivers which regularly consume the lives of hundreds of people through torrential floods. This year’s floods have been described by the United Nations as ‘unprecedented’ in human memory.
In addition, India is indiscriminately allowing the export of coal and other non-renewable mineral resources. Instead, if this coal were to be utilised for generating electricity, it would cost us much less than producing nuclear energy.
Given this, the government’s arguments that the Indo-US nuclear deal is to augment our energy resources and to provide electricity to the farmers and poor sounds, indeed, hollow. On the contrary, it appears that as a consequence of this deal, huge commercial orders running into thousands of crores of rupees for the purchase of nuclear reactors would be placed on US and other advanced countries corporations. The profit bonanza to multinational corporations is there for all to see with the attendant benefits to sections of corporate India. Is India then actually going in for this deal to bolster US economic interests? Can we allow this to happen under the false propaganda of benefit to the Indian farmers? If the same amount of resources were to be spent on generating power through hydro or coal, as would be spent on the purchase of nuclear reactors and nuclear fuel, India’s energy augmentation would be many times higher. Thus, the nuclear deal not only exposes India to greater vulnerability on various scores, it drains a huge amount of our scarce resources and, thus, prevents India from exploiting fully its available less expensive energy options. These are the facts.
WHO ARE AGENTS OF CHINA AND PAKISTAN?:
The more bizarre disinformation campaign is that the CPI(M) is opposing the deal at China’s behest. This charge, however, does not apply to the BJP presumably, for its opposition of the deal. The reason for the BJP’s opposition, of course, is entirely different from that of the CPI(M)’s. Given the BJP’s track record when in government, the current opposition is a mere posturing and smacks of a ‘hurt’ that such a deal ought to have been concluded under its government and not under the UPA government!
Be that as it may, those who know of the CPI(M)’s birth and history will know that for nearly two decades both the international communist giants – the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of China – opposed the CPI(M)’s policies from different perspectives. The CPI(M)’s policy directions are determined by its own perceptions of what is in the interests of India and its people. Those who are willing to eagerly surrender India’s sovereignty to US imperialism should be the last ones to dole out unsolicited advise and certificates of patriotism. If our detractors are worthy of character and substance, then they ought to meet our arguments on their merits rather than take recourse to such perfidy.
We heard similar arguments when the CPI(M) opposed Pokhran-II. In fact, the then NDA’s defence minister, George Fernandes, publicly announced that the nuclear tests were necessary to meet the Chinese challenge. Once Pakistan responded by its nuclear tests, India’s huge advantage in conventional warfare vis-à-vis Pakistan was wiped out in a single stroke. Far from enhancing India’s security and defence potential, the BJP/NDA through Pokhran-II reduced us to the level of Pakistan’s capabilities. The BJP today argues that the Indo-US nuclear deal limits our strategic programme which can only be to China’s and Pakistan’s advantage.
Who, may we ask, is vigorously pursuing this Indo-US nuclear deal which, we are told, will limit India’s strategic capacities, thus, providing advantage to our neighbours? It is those who are propagating and supporting the deal who are, thus, by this logic, acting at the behest of China and Pakistan!
While the pen-pushers of US imperialism and the Indian ruling classes continue to spread canards exposing their complete incapacity to meet the CPI(M)’s objections on merit, the Indian people, surely, will not allow India to be reduced to a US supplicant.
In the 60th anniversary of our independence, the 150th anniversary of 1857 and the 250th anniversary of the battle of Plassey which heralded the colonial rule over India, we cannot allow any erosion of our hard won sovereignty and independence. On the contrary, we need to strengthen it.
(This is from the forthcoming editorial of Peoples' Democracy, Dated: 26-08-07).
Be that as it may, those who know of the CPI(M)’s birth and history will know that for nearly two decades both the international communist giants – the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of China – opposed the CPI(M)’s policies from different perspectives. The CPI(M)’s policy directions are determined by its own perceptions of what is in the interests of India and its people. Those who are willing to eagerly surrender India’s sovereignty to US imperialism should be the last ones to dole out unsolicited advise and certificates of patriotism. If our detractors are worthy of character and substance, then they ought to meet our arguments on their merits rather than take recourse to such perfidy.
We heard similar arguments when the CPI(M) opposed Pokhran-II. In fact, the then NDA’s defence minister, George Fernandes, publicly announced that the nuclear tests were necessary to meet the Chinese challenge. Once Pakistan responded by its nuclear tests, India’s huge advantage in conventional warfare vis-à-vis Pakistan was wiped out in a single stroke. Far from enhancing India’s security and defence potential, the BJP/NDA through Pokhran-II reduced us to the level of Pakistan’s capabilities. The BJP today argues that the Indo-US nuclear deal limits our strategic programme which can only be to China’s and Pakistan’s advantage.
Who, may we ask, is vigorously pursuing this Indo-US nuclear deal which, we are told, will limit India’s strategic capacities, thus, providing advantage to our neighbours? It is those who are propagating and supporting the deal who are, thus, by this logic, acting at the behest of China and Pakistan!
While the pen-pushers of US imperialism and the Indian ruling classes continue to spread canards exposing their complete incapacity to meet the CPI(M)’s objections on merit, the Indian people, surely, will not allow India to be reduced to a US supplicant.
In the 60th anniversary of our independence, the 150th anniversary of 1857 and the 250th anniversary of the battle of Plassey which heralded the colonial rule over India, we cannot allow any erosion of our hard won sovereignty and independence. On the contrary, we need to strengthen it.
(This is from the forthcoming editorial of Peoples' Democracy, Dated: 26-08-07).
Sd/- Roshan Kishore, President, SFI-JNU.
Sd/- Rajiv Kumar Ranjan, Secretary, SFI-JNU.
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