People's Democracy

 SFI Opposes Tamilnadu Dictates

THROUGH a statement issued by its president K K Ragesh from Chennai, October 5, the Students Federation of India (SFI) has demanded immediate withdrawal of the order issued by the Jayalalitha government of Tamilnadu, banning political activities in educational campuses in the state. College authorities too have been directed to take disciplinary actions against SFI activists in the name of banning political activities in their campuses. Many students were given show cause notices for taking part in SFI activities and warning letters were sent to their parents. The authorities have also expelled 12 SFI activists in Madurai and Dindigul districts.

Describing the order as extremely undemocratic and a blatant violation of constitutional norms, the SFI says students are being humiliated even for attending meetings and taking part in membership campaigns or agitations.  The article 19 (1) (a) and (c) of the constitution of India guarantees all its citizens the right to form associations and the freedom of speech and expression. The conduct of the government and college authorities thus infringes upon fundamental rights and is an open challenge to the constitution of India.

Unlike many other student organisations, the SFI has been running agitations against the anti-student policies of the central and various state governments. In Tamilnadu also, the SFI stood in forefront of struggle and this is what made the government and college authorities target it by banning political activities. The authorities are well aware of the fact that it is the SFI that took initiative for the medical students’ strike and for an agitation against the closure of Queen Mary’s College and Chennai Law College. The SFI’s active presence in campuses has made it difficult for them to push through their anti-student policies in the state.

The SFI statement also alleged that authorities have formed groups called “Friends of Police” to spy on the students. These groups are giving to the authorities information of political activities in campuses. They are trying to rouse communal and caste feelings among students, and creating an atmosphere of gender discrimination with the blessings of the authorities.  Police pickets have been put up in front of all campuses.

The SFI says the attempt of the Jayalalitha government to vitiate the atmosphere in campuses has to be resisted. All democratic minded people and students should come together to fight and defeat this undemocratic and anti-constitutional move of the Jayalalitha government to ban political activities among students. (INN)