People's Democracy

MEETING at New Delhi on February 3-4, the CEC (central executive committee) of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) took serious note of the prevailing international and national situation. It urged the Indian youth and all its state units to rebuff the communal offensive of the RSS-VHP combine. The CEC said the coming assembly polls provide a good chance to forge this struggle; here the Left and democratic youth-student organisations may mobilise the public opinion against communal forces that are bent upon destroying the secular fabric of our country.

The CEC also decided to launch a pre-budget campaign all over the country. In the context of the upcoming rail and union budgets, the following will be the main demands of the campaign:

1. As regard to the rail budget, the demands are as follows: (a) Stop to workers’ layoffs in the railways; (b) Filling up the vacant posts; (c) No more hike in passenger fares and surcharge; (d) Ensuring safety in the railways; and (e) Improvement in the railway services.

2. As regard to general budget, the demands are as follows: (a) Reversing the policies of economic liberalisation; (b) No rise in the prices of essential commodities; (c) Lifting the ban on recruitment in government services; and (d) Allocation of 10 per cent of the union budget for education.

The CEC resolved to launch a powerful youth movement against the anti-national policies of the BJP-led government, and also to mobilise other Left and democratic organisations to further strengthen the resistance.

The DYFI decided to conduct a massive campaign against the growing unemployment. As is known, the promise of the BJP-led NDA to create one crore jobs every year has proved a hoax. Against the BJP government’s indifference to the unemployment problem, the DYFI will organise a month long campaign from February 27 to March 28 all over the country, through rallies, street corner meetings, anti-unemployment conventions and mass deputations to authorities.

There has been an impressive growth in the DYFI’s membership --- from 1,12,660,48 in 2000 to over 1,17,000,00 in 2001. It is important to note that the DYFI membership has increased year after year, showing its impact on the youth, through its struggle and mass campaigns.

The CEC meeting concluded on the positive note about building up a powerful and impressive youth movement in the coming days. (INN)