University Strike Poster

Join JNUSU's

UNIVERSITY STRIKE

against AN UNDEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATION’S DECISION TO IMPOSE FINES ON 10 STUDENTS

August 9, 2007 (Thursday)

SFI-AISF

SFI-AISF Pamphlet dated 8th Aug, 07

Unite against the authoritarian administration!
Administration can not violate its own written agreement!
Revoke the fines on students, the JNUSU President and Jt. Secy!

8th August 2007

Friends,

After more than 3 weeks of its agreement with the JNUSU, the administration has finally taken a decision on the question of punishment of 11 students in the 19th February incident. On the basis of written appeals given to the administration all the 8 students who were rusticated have been allowed to register in the university after they pay a fine (which is Rs 1000 for 6 students and Rs 2000 for the other two). The JNUSU Gen Secretary’s fine has been waived off. The fines on the JNUSU President and Jt Secretary continue to remain.

The 19th February Incident and Maturity of the student movement of JNU

We would like to revisit the 19th February incident for the benefit of new students who have joined the university this year. On 19th February, a protest demonstration was called by the JNUSU against the tearing off of some posters supporting the workers’ movement. This demonstration was, however, unilaterally turned into a gherao of the Registrar by the ultra-left forces. In no democratic forum of the students was it ever decided that the demonstration would be turned into a gherao but the adventurism of the ultra-left organizations on campus led to an ugly turn of events with acts like tying a rope around his car, deflating its tyres, smearing black paint on it, climbing on the top of the car were indulged in by their activists. This was a setback to the democratic traditions of the JNU student movement. The JNU administration, using this incident as a pretext, suspended 10 students including three office-bearers of the JNUSU.

However, reflecting its political maturity and high consciousness level of the student community, the JNU student movement itself embarked upon a corrective path after the incident. The JNUSU council passed a resolution (which was moved by the SFI-AISF representatives) expressing regret over an incident which took place in an action led by it. The resolution categorically said that the incident of 19th February was an aberration to the democratic traditions which the JNU student movement has always been known for. This resolution was later endorsed with an overwhelming majority in the UGBM held on the 8th March. The same UGBM also took the position that based on the expression of regret individually by all the suspended students, their suspensions should be withdrawn and that any further punishments to these students would be resisted by the students’ union. On the basis of the JNUSU resolution and individual regret letters submitted by all the students including the 3 JNUSU office-bearers their suspensions were withdrawn in the month of March.

A Successful agitation led by the JNUSU

However acting in a vindictive manner, the administration once again issued show cause notices
to 11 students in the midst of summer vacations. This was shortly followed by rustication of 8
students and imposition of fines on the JNUSU President, Gen Secy and Jt Secy. It was clear that the administration’s real agenda was to suppress and weaken the entire student movement of this campus using the 19th February incident as a pretext. The student community waged a
spirited struggle against this crackdown on our student movement. After a historic agitation of 19 days which included a 12 day long indefinite hunger strike under the leadership of the JNUSU President, Com. Dhananjay along with 4 other students including the JNUSU Vice President and an 8 day long hunger Strike by the SIS Councillor P K Anand, the administration was forced to enter into an agreement with the JNUSU. The agreement said that the administration would enable all the rusticated students to take registration into the university by the 14th of August. The administration was also forced to accept several important demands in the JNUSU’s Charter. These included increasing the amount of MCM for BA/MA students to Rs 1500 and raising the income cap for MCM to Rs 1 lakh per annum, forwarding the demand of implementing the UGC scholarships for M.Phil/Ph.D students from July 2005 to the UGC, allowing the Aleemeyat/Fazeelat certificates for admissions to B.A, setting up a committee to ensure workers’ right in the campus, strengthening of the Equal Opportunity Office and initiating the process of bringing Gender violence under the purview of GSCASH.

Breach of Agreement by the administration and the struggle ahead

It is in this context that we should look at the present response of the administration. The SFI-AISF strongly condemns the imposition of fines instead of rustications by the administration. Imposition of fines in place of rustications was not a part of the JNUSU’s agreement with the administration. Once the rusticated students have submitted their appeals to the administration, any other conditionality for giving them registration is completely unacceptable to the student community. The present act of the administration is thus a clear violation of the spirit of its agreement with the JNUSU.

The administration has also failed to understand that the JNUSU President and Jt Secretary would not tender any kind of regret to the administration. In an unfortunate manner the JNUSU Gen Secy has given his regret to the administration, which was not even asked for in the first place. This is all the more condemnable because it was done without even informing the student community or the JNUSU Council members. This has only weakened student unity and encouraged the administration to continue with its anti-student and high handed behaviour. However, the SFI-AISF would like to warn this administration against taking the other office-bearers and the other students on whom fines have been imposed for granted in this manner. We strongly demand from the administration that it must revoke all the fines imposed upon the students and the JNUSU President and Jt Secretary without any further conditionality.

We also condemn the text and tenor of the letter which has been given to the concerned students by the Chief Proctor’s office. It says that the punishments have been revoked because of the “good conduct” of these students and also carries a warning of such action in the future. We would like to remind the JNU administration that it is not some abstract good conduct but a valiant struggle of the student movement which has forced it to take back these unjust punishments. The JNU student movement has always fought against such crackdowns on democratic voices and movements throughout the country and we would like to warn the administration that any such move would be given a thorough defeat in the coming days as well. It was the united and uncompromising fight by the students of this campus which forced this administration to take back its vindictive act of rustications of individual students and come to an agreement with the JNUSU. If the Vice Chancellor and his team are of the view that they can get away by breaching their own written agreement then they would have to face the music. The issue today is not whether one should pay a fine of Rs 1000 or 2000. The more important issue is whether the student movement of JNU would allow some dictatorial and adamant administrators sitting in the Pink Palace to violate an agreement which has been achieved after an arduous struggle led by our comrades who sat on a 12 day long hunger strike in an extremely hostile weather conditions and hundreds of other students who worked tirelessly for 19 days against this attack on our democratic rights. The student community must rise up against this breach of faith by the administration against its own written agreement. The need of the hour is to wage an even more militant and radical struggle to teach a final lesson to this administration. The SFI-AISF would appeal to all the students of this campus to rally behind the JNUSU against this high handedness and authoritarian behaviour of the administration.

The SFI-AISF would appeal to the student community to join tonight’s protest march called by the JNUSU in large numbers and observe a total strike in the university tomorrow. A clear signal must be sent that the students of this campus are not going to let any administration rest in peace and comfort which has lost even the minimum moral obligation of respecting its own agreement with the JNUSU.

JOIN JNUSU's Protest March

against The Imposition Of Unjust Fines On Rusticated Students And JNUSU President and Joint Secretary.

Ganga Dhaba 9 pm (tonight)

UNIVERSITY STRIKE 9TH AUGUST, 2007 (Thursday).

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

Sd/- Sanjay Kumar, AISF-JNU.

JNUSU-SIS Public Meeting

Public Meeting

INDO-US Nuclear Deal and 123 Agreement: Implications For India and Beyond

Speakers:

Prabir Purakayastha-Delhi Science Forum.

Siddharth Varadarajan- The Hindu.

Seema Mustafa- Asian Age.

09/08/07 (Thursday)
9.30 pm
Periyar Mess

JNUSU-SIS

Sd/- P.K.Anand, Tiainla, C.Lalengkima
Councillors, SIS.

JNUSU Pamphlet on 7th Aug, '07

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

Friends, 7/08/07

This is to inform the student community that the administration after a prolonged silence has finally come out with a response on the issue of registration of the 11 students in the 19th February case. The Chief Proctor’s office has issued a letter to the students who had submitted their appeals to the administration which says that the Vice Chancellor ordered that the punishments given to them be commuted as follows:

Rusticated Students:

1. Vanessa Chisti - (Previously Out of Bounds) (Now Fined Rs 2000 and allowed to register)

2. Serohi Nandan - (Previously Rustication for 4 semesters) (Now Fined Rs 2000 and allowed to register

3. Pooja Shah Prashant - (Previously Rustication for 4 semesters) (Now Fined Rs 1000 and allowed to register)

4. Ritupan - (Previously Rustication for 4 semesters) (Now Fined Rs 1000 and allowed to register)

5. Kaustav Banerjee - (Previously Rustication for 2 semesters) (Now Fined Rs 1000 and allowed to register)

6. Rajesh Ranjan - (Previously Rustication for 2 semesters) (Now Fined Rs 1000 and allowed to register

7. P.K. Mangalam - (Previously Rustication for 2 semesters) (Now Fined Rs 1000 and allowed to register

8. Banojyotsna - (Previously Rustication for 2 semesters) (Now Fined Rs 1000 and allowed to register)

Office-Bearers:

1. Dhananjay, President - (Previously Fine of Rs. 2000) (Now Fine of Rs. 2000)

2. Sandeep, Gen. Secy - (PreviouslyFine of Rs. 2000) (Now Fine Waived)

3. Jyotsna, Jt. Secy. - (Previously Fine of Rs. 2000) (Now Fine of Rs. 2000)

The fact that the administration has been forced to give registration to all the rusticated student is an important victory of the student movement in this campus. The student community had waged a valiant struggle against these punishments under the leadership of the JNUSU which forced the administration to enter into an agreement with the JNUSU. However, the fact that fines have been imposed on the students whose rustications have been removed violates the spirit of the JNUSU’s agreement with the administration. The JNUSU had taken a clear cut position that once the student community had accepted at different levels that the incident on the 19th was a regrettable one there should be no punishment whatsoever to these students. The imposition of fines which have been termed as commuted punishments is thus a condemnable move. To deliberate on the current development on this issue, the JNUSU requests all the organizations to send their representatives for an all organization meeting at 9:30 pm in the JNUSU Office.

Sd/-

Dhananjay, President JNUSU.

Sd/-

Jyotsna. Jt. Secy, JNUSU.

Organization Meeting
9:30 p.m. Tonight (7th August 2007) JNUSU Office

SFI Pamphlet on 6th Aug '07

Shame On AISA’S Continuing Defense Of Violence In The Campus!!

Date: 06/08/07

Friends,

Acting in the most shameless and politically bankrupt manner the AISA is continuing with its defense of the incident of 3rd August where Rajan Pandey, a Joint Secy of their JNU unit indulged in a serious act of violence against a YFE activist at the Ad Block. Devoid of any logical defense (which is not possible for such a condemnable act of violence) they have vented out their frustration by attacking the SFI in their yesterday’s pamphlet. The SFI’s description of the incident of that day is an eyewitness account of what happened there and we would appeal to the AISA to stop spreading their lies and doctored stories in trying to defend Rajan. Also it fails our understanding as to how the SFI is responsible for the different versions of that incident by different organizations. In a ridiculous manner the AISA has alleged that the SFI has hidden the fact that Sumit had been discharged from AIIMS day before yesterday. We would like to make it clear to the AISA that the SFI was not reporting the whereabouts of Sumit in its pamphlet. What needs to reckoned with is the fact that Rajan’s attack on Sumit caused him serious injuries and he had to be hospitalized. We strongly believe that such incidents of violence have no place in our campus and are an attack on the progressive democratic culture of this university which has been built after a long and arduous struggle by the students of this campus. We would still appeal to the AISA to show some political integrity and courage to honestly accept that Rajan’s act of violence that day is a condemnable thing and can not be justified on any grounds. We would like to question the AISA that if they are so confident about Rajan’s innocence then why has he disappeared from the campus instead of facing the student community?

Accusing the SFI of Mahajot with the YFE : yet another example of AISA’s political bankruptcy:

The AISA has accused the SFI of entering into a grand mahajot with the YFE and other right wing political organizations because it has taken a position against Rajan’s act of violence. Such an accusation only reflects the degeneration of AISA’s so called radical and alternative model of the student movement in JNU. We would like to make it clear to the AISA that taking a position on violence against an individual does not mean that one supports his/her politics. The SFI has no illusions about the castist and reactionary politics of the Youth for (In) equality in this campus. The progressive student movement of this campus has always shown these organizations their due place in the political spectrum of JNU. We would also like to remind the AISA that it was only because of SFI’s valiant struggle against the divisive and caste based politics of the YFE that the students of this campus decided to give the leadership of the JNUSU in terms of the President’s post to the SFI in last year’s JNUSU elections. But we have always held that the only way to defeat and isolate these forces is waging a political struggle against them and mobilizing students against them on a political and ideological basis. The SFI has always fought tooth and nail against any oppression or act of violence by the right wing lumpens in this campus. We would like to remind the AISA that it was only because of the spirited struggle by the SFI and its JNUSU representatives that punishment was given to the JPF lumpens in the incident of caste abuse and violence against a dalit student in Lohit and Chandrabagha hostels last year. The SFI does not believe that going around and indulging in violence against right wing political activists would strengthen the Left movement in this campus. We would also like to warn the AISA against making such accusations and taking the consciousness of student community for granted in this manner. If lumpenism and violence have become the weapons for fighting organizations like the YFE for AISA’s brand of left politics in this campus, then the progressive student community would give a fitting rebuff to such political ideological bankruptcy.

Who has been acting as an agent of the administration!:

Continuing with their doublespeak and shameless behaviour the AISA has accused the SFI of taking a pro administration stand. We would only like to remind them about the recent agitation where the students have clearly seen the commitment and hard work of SFI AISF activists against the unjust punishments given to 11 students in the 19th February case. In fact we would like to question the AISA about why they have not been able to answer any of the questions raised by us on the submission of appeal by the General Secretary of the JNUSU, who is from their organization. His meek surrender before the administration which has still not revoked the rustications and fines on the students even after more than 3 weeks of a written agreement is nothing else but a complete betrayal of the student movement. We would advise the AISA to indulge in some self introspection before parroting their ultra revolutionary zeal in front of the student community of JNU.

The SFI appeals to the student community to isolate this kind of degenerate and unprincipled politics which would only weaken the left democratic student movement of our campus. We also appeal to the supporters of AISA to think about the kind of activities, which their organizational leadership is doing and justifying in the name of left politics in this campus.

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

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

SFI Release on Hiroshima Day

Never Again Hiroshima

Fifty-eight years ago, on August 6 and August 9, 1945, U.S. imperialism dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This horrendous crime remains the only time nuclear weapons have been used against humanity. The bombs were the dirtiest nuclear weapons imaginable. They killed over 220,000 people instantly and left entire generations condemned to slowly die from long-term illnesses. It is an atrocity the U.S. rulers not only never apologized for, but defend to this day.

Hiroshima-Nagasaki: An Imperialist Gameplan:

For decades U.S. government officials and other apologists for imperialism have justified Washington's decision to drop the bombs as necessary to save American lives and end the war. Of course this is always the justification of an empire, and will continue to be the banner under which the U.S. rulers inflict brutalities on humanity. But this rationalization covers up the real truth. Washington made the cold-blooded decision to incinerate the civilian populations in these two Japanese cities to send a message to its imperialist rivals and working people around the world. Their message was loud and clear: we not only have the bomb but are more than willing to use it to advance our imperial prerogatives. The point was succinctly made by famous historian Thomas McCormick, who argued, “A prearranged demonstration of the atomic bomb on a non-inhabited target, as some scientists had recommended, would not do. That could demonstrate the power of the bomb, but it could not demonstrate the American will to use the awful power. One reason, therefore, for American unwillingness to pursue Japanese peace feelers in mid-summer 1945 was that the United States did not want the war to end before it had had a chance to use the atomic bomb”.

US’ Nuclear First Strike Policy and Nuclear Proliferation:

Nuclear proliferation problems go back to US’ first uses of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the Second World War, it played a charade with the Soviet Union over control of the nuclear genie. A number of American officials called for first strikes against the Soviet Union when it had a nuclear monopoly. Several American presidents have made nuclear threats to the Soviet Union, China, North Vietnam and North Korea. A nuclear first-strike against the Soviet Union was always on the table and discussed openly by General Curtis LeMay and other military leaders during the Cold War. It was such common knowledge that several movies were made about the subject. In a recent article senator Mike Gravel says, “it may have been entirely rational for the Soviet Union and China to view their nuclear capability as deterrence to a possible first-strike by the U.S.”

Nuclear Threat Still Looms Large:

However a threat of nuclear first strike from the US did not end with the Cold War. In George W Bush's America, nuclear weapons are here to stay and are viewed as weapons for fighting wars. The US "Nuclear Posture Review 2002" recommended continued reliance for the indefinite future on nuclear weapons "to achieve strategic and political objectives". It mandated new facilities for the manufacture of nuclear bombs, research into new kinds of nuclear weapons, new delivery-systems, and much more. It laid out a new strategy, in which nuclear weapons were to be used to "dissuade adversaries from undertaking military programs or operations that could threaten U.S. interests or those of allies." It named as possible targets Russia, China, North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Libya, and opened the door to the use of nuclear weapons to respond to "sudden and unpredicted security challenges." The Pentagon’s Global Strike Plans, including CONPLAN 8022, refers to first-strike possibilities against Iran and North Korea. Just recently, military and CIA officers leaked plans to use nukes to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities before they could build a bomb.

Fight Imperialism! Fight Nuclear Proliferation!:

The fight against weaponisation is intertwined with the fight against imperialism. Nuclear proliferation cannot stop till world lives under the threat of arrogant US that has the nuclear capacity and intent to destroy countries that do not fall in line with its economic and strategic goals. Let us all resolve on the Hiroshima day to fight US’ global domination and remove the curse of nuclear weapons from our planet. Let us fight for a world free of hunger, exploitation and weapons.

An SFI Release

Poster on Nandigram Film Show

Two Films on Nandigram

Nandigram: In Search of Answers

Directed by Anindita Sarbadhicari
2007 / 1 HOUR 19 MINS / BENGALI / VOICEOVER AND SUBTITLES IN ENGLISH

Nandigram: Aasmaan Ke Talaash Mein
Directed by Prakash Kumar Ray
2007 / 34 MINS / BENGALI, HINDI / VOICEOVER AND SUBTITLES IN HINDI

These two documentary films are based on the tragedy in Nandigram. The police firing in Nandigram on 14th March 2007 has disturbed peace-loving democratic minded people across the country. The Left Front Government in West Bengal has come under intense political attack on the issue from the entire spectrum of political opposition, from the ultra-Right to the ultra-Left. The truth of course was lost in the din of shrill anti-Left propaganda. By revisiting the police firing on 14th March 2007, the sequence of events which led to it as well as its aftermath, the documentaries portray the tragedy as it unfolded.

At KC Open Air Theatre, JNU
Sunday, 12th August 2007
9.00 p.m. onwards

The Directors of the two documentaries will be present to
interact with the audience. All are invited.

SFI