People's Democracy

DYFI Celebrates Silver Jubilee With Massive Rally

Presents Six-Point Charter Of Demands To PM

Tikender Singh Panwar

TWENTY-five doves were released as a symbol of peace, marking the 25th year of the formation of DYFI. A huge mass public meeting was held in the Talkatora ground in New Delhi on the November 3 to commemorate this occasion. Exactly 24 years ago the DYFI was formed in its first conference held at Ludhiana. 

The public meeting was preceded by a huge mass rally of the youth through the busy lanes of New Delhi, right from the Ambedkar Bhavan on the Rani Jhansi Road, the camp site of the rallyists, to the Talkatora Gardens ground where the meeting was held. The rallyists started pouring in since November 2 morning and continued till the afternoon of November 3. There was representation from all corners of the country – from Tripura to Maharashtra and Jammu & Kashmir to Kerala. Youth from each state marched under their respective state banner. The youthful mood of the procession could be gauged from the fact that for not a minute the slogans stopped renting the air right from the start of the march.

The captain of the winning team of Santosh trophy, Ignatius Sylvester, AIDWA general secretary and president, Brinda Karat and Subhashini Ali were also felicitated.

The DYFI all India president K N Balagopal presided over the rally. In his brief speech, he narrated the heroic legacy of the organisation that has been proven in the previous decades. The organisation has been the champion of the youth and has grown from a meagre membership of 12 lakh  to 1.3 crore today to be the largest organisation of the youth of the country and second largest in the world, next only to the Chinese youth organisation,  said the president.

Hannan Mollah, the founder general secretary of DYFI, addressing the gathering lambasted the communal and separatist forces for trying to divide the country and its people. He said that DYFI was not built on religion, region or caste basis but was shaped up as an organisation to fight for national unity. The immense sacrifices of the youth leaders safeguarding the national unity in different parts of the country are only a fact corroborating the statement.

Suneet Chopra, the founder joint secretary, in his short speech called upon the DYFI to face the immense challenges before the youth. He said that only a democratic and progressive organisation like the DYFI can guide the youth in a positive direction.

Tapas Sinha, DYFI general secretary emphasised that the last 25 years of the DYFI were truly marked by its slogan of ‘Struggle, Sacrifice and Advancement’. The organisation also effectively intervened through culture and sports. He gave the details of the ensuing programme marking the silver jubilee celebrations. This shall comprise of holding of a national youth festival, international seminars, national football, cricket and athletics championship etc. The DYFI is the largest blood donor in the world and shall donate a further 5 lakh blood units in the year 2005.

Tapas Sinha also informed the gathering that more than 25 million (2.5 crore) signatures were collected throughout the country addressed to the prime minister on 5 major demands of the youth (see accompanying box).

The main speaker of the day was Sitaram Yechury, a former youth student leader and presently CPI(M) Polit Bureau member. In his informative speech he called upon the youth to shoulder the historic task of building a society free from exploitation. He stated that the DYFI has been in the forefront in sacrificing its cadres for the sake of the country’s integrity and the unity of the people. When young comrades were cut into pieces by separatist forces, the DYFI had given the slogan of ‘let our body be cut into pieces but we shall not allow our country to be fragmented.’

Referring to the UPA government, Yechury categorically remarked that no government in the past has fallen because of the Left. This government shall also get the support of the Left till the time it functions to the wishes of the people. On the international situation, he commented that if Bush is returned to power again, it would mean further accentuation of the pressures on the people of the third world and more struggles in the offing. This situation should be utilised by launching mass struggles.

In the valedictory session, West Bengal delegates sang ‘We Shall Overcome’. It was followed by a colourful display of 25 crackers being burst at the corner of the stage.