People's Democracy

 SFI Observes Himachal Solidarity Day

TWENTY one states including the national capital had massively responded to the call to observe Himachal solidarity day on July 28, 2009 protesting the unprecedented attack on the leaders and activists of the Students� Federation of India in Himachal Pradesh. The BJP led state government, the police and the Himachal Pradesh University authorities have joined hands together to spearhead the attack against SFI.

After an attack on the students of SFI in HPU on July 14, 2009, shockingly, thirteen students of SFI were arrested and the police caught none from ABVP, who were present on the spot with sharp weapons and were burning hoardings and banners of SFI.

 It is pertinent to mention that after the attack at about 7:30 pm, the superintendent of police, Shimla conducted a press conference and alleged that SFI activists are guilty and slapped section 307 (attempt to murder) without any complaint by the other party and without the proof/medical report.

The attack on the SFI activists who also are the elected union representatives of the university was abetted by both the police administration and the university authorities who connived together. The reason for their connivance is that the former ABVP leaders who are determined to turn the Himachal Pradesh University into RSS fiefdom are at the helm of the university authority. The incumbent vice chancellor also happens to be from the same stream. The university under his leadership intends to fill up more than 250 vacant posts of teachers through backdoor entry bypassing the Wilson formula that lays stress on merit. It is this ambition and intention that they want to carry forward and the forces that are against the scrapping of Wilson formula have naturally become their target. It is precisely because of this reason that the attack was masterminded by the police and the university authorities to create ruckus in the campus so that they can go ahead with their sinister designs.

It is relevant to mention here that the call for such an action was given on  July 9, 2009 in the university auditorium where the vice chancellor addressed the gathering organised by the ABVP and called upon the university community including the students, teachers and the non teaching staff to strengthen ABVP in the campus. This was the starter for the evil designs of the university authorities. The vice chancellor of HPU, Professor Sunil Gupta is a state committee member of BJP and former president of ABVP, Himachal Pradesh.

The matter became intolerable when SFI leader and elected joint secretary of SCA, HPU Surender Kumar Rana who was lodged in sub-jail Kaithu  under judicial custody was prevented to appear in his Ph D entrance examination which was to be held in Punjab University on July 19, 2009. Although prior permission for the same was already sought from the court and was intimated to the superintendent of police, Shimla along with other police authorities, he was not allowed to appear for the exam. When this matter was highlighted by the media, the  SP, Shimla started giving vague statements that Surender Kumar Rana did not have his roll number and so was not allowed by the university to enter inside, but when the roll number Slip was presented, he took his safeside by suspending the  head constable.

 Another instance of victimisation has come to the fore now. Ramesh Kumar, a student of MA Sanskrit has been lodged in the judicial custody though his name is not in the FIR nor does his name appear in the police report of those who were arrested by them. The police under directions from the SP have kept Ramesh Kumar under illegal custody since last ten days. The SP of Shimla should be immediate suspended for this atrocity. All these are happening to weaken the SFI on the eve of the forthcoming SCA elections in August.

Almost all the states in our country observed the solidarity call on July 28, 2009. All the major cities witnessed students� rallies and demonstrations, responding to the call of the central executive committee of the Students� Federation of India. A massive rally was organised at Kolkata by its West Bengal unit. All the district head quarters in West Bengal witnessed huge protest rallies. Universities and college units in Bengal also registered their solidarity with protest rallies and campaigns. In Kerala, a huge rally participated by hundreds of students was held in Thiruvananthapuram. All the units in Kerala and districts centers have also observed solidarity programmes. Solidarity day was observed in all the prestigious universities across the country.

The SFI demands that the Himachal Pradesh government must suspend the SP of Shimla and institute an enquiry against him for willfully disobeying the order of the Court to deprive Surender Kumar his fundamental right to education and denying the right to life and liberty to other arrested students on false and fabricated charges. The government must ensure that the police does do not act in a partisan manner by framing false and fabricated cases against the SFI activists.

The vice chancellor must protect the autonomy of the university and implement the Wilson committee directions for recruiting teaching staff on the basis of merit.

The SFI is proud of its courageous comrades in Himachal who are fighting to defeat all the evil designs of the BJP government and the state administration.