People's Democracy

 Preparations For DYFI Conference Gain Momentum

HELD at Amritsar on October 9, the third meeting of the reception committee for the coming DYFI conference was attended by over 100 people from different walks of life. Suneet Chopra, founder secretariat member of the DYFI and its former all India vice president also attended at the special invitation of the DYFI reception committee.

The meeting took up a review of activities that have been undertaken since the second meeting of the committee. Vijay Misra, working president of the reception committee, presented a brief report of the progress achieved by various sub-committees regarding different aspects of the preparations for the event. Satisfaction was expressed over the work of the accommodation, fund raising, campaigning, press and souvenir sub-committees.

The meeting stressed the importance of continuing the work with the initial enthusiasm. A campaign for mobilising the youth of Punjab on the slogans of “Jobs For All, Education For All,” “Resist Imperialism, Combat Communalism” and against the culture of drugs and degeneration has been launched. According to the schedule worked out, Suneet Chopra’s statewide tour was to cover Batala and Amritsar on October, 10-11, Pathankot on October 12, Hoshiarpur on October 13, Nawan Shahar on October 14, Ludhiana on October 15, Sangrur on October 16, Jalandhar on October 17, Patiala on October 18, Moga and Bathinda on October 19, and Muktsar and Ferozepur on October 20. This tour will be followed up by that of Mohamed Salim, former all India general secretary of the DYFI and currently a minister in the Left Front government of West Bengal in October end and November beginning.

Addressing the meeting, general secretary of Punjab Kisan Sabha Lehmber Singh Taggar pointed out that after successfully conducting the All India Kisan Sabha’s conference, the whole of Punjab was looking forward to an even greater success in hosting the DYFI conference. Charan Singh Virdi of the media and publicity sub-committee, Dr Narinder Singh and Dr Naratom Bhalla of the souvenir sub-committee and Rachpal Singh, president of Punjab state AIKS, also spoke, among others.

Summing up the meeting, Suneet Chopra highlighted the DYFI’s importance as a growing organisation that has increased into membership from 12 lakhs in 1980 to 1 crore 25 lakhs today --- a more than ten times increase. He noted that this could not have been done without the sacrifices of our leading Punjab comrades like all India vice president Darbara Singh, former state president Gurnam Singh Uppal, state secretary Sohan Singh Dhesi, state treasurer Surjeet Singh and many others. He pointed out that today the DYFI has an all India image of sacrifice and responsibility, with former DYFI leaders now serving as chief ministers in West Bengal and Tripura. A former DYFI president is the speaker of the Kerala assembly while many DYFI leaders are ministers, MLAs and MPs today. He reminded the meeting that the DYFI had a special relationship with the city of Amritsar. Its first martyr, Arur Singh Gill, was from here. Companions of Bhagat Singh, like Shiv Verma and Pandit Kishori Lal, were the DYFI’s guiding lights as well as founders of the Naujawan Bharat Sabha. The latter too had held its first conference in the city of Amritsar and that conference was addressed by freedom fighters of highest quality like Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew and Kedar Nath Sehgal.

The vote of thanks was proposed by state Kisan Sabha president Rachpal Singh who urged for redoubled efforts to ensure the success of the DYFI conference. (INN)