People's Democracy

SFI On Warpath Against Fee Hike In Rajasthan

 Sanjay Madhav

IN Rajasthan, the Students Federation of India (SFI) is on the warpath in protest against the hefty hike of as much as 10 percent in examination fee by the Rajasthan University. One must note that this university has already been charging from its students various fees at more than twice the rate in other universities in the state.

In such a situation, the decision to hike the exams fee by 10 percent incensed the students who, under the SFI’s leadership, staged demonstrations and took out rallies in Jaipur, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Dausa, Alwar and Bharatpur. Thousands of students participated in these actions. Relay hunger strikes were organised in front of the main gate of the university in Jaipur and at the district and tehsil headquarters. Several students later went on a fast unto death. The police forcibly shifted to hospitals some of the students whose condition was deteriorating, but the students continued the fast there.

Students staged a militant demonstration after forcing the closure of colleges in Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Jaipur and Bharatpur. With the participation of more than 10,000 students, the demonstration at Jhunjhunu became a memorable one. In the state capital Jaipur, students in large numbers staged strikes in the Maharani College, Maharaja College, Rajasthan College, Commerce College and Kanodia College as well as in various faculties of the university, and later took out a historic procession from the university.

Bandhs were organised in Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Bharatpur in support of the fighting students and these proved successful. Girl students of Maharani College and Kanodia College played a marvellous role in the bandh despite the warning of disciplinary action issued by the principals and hostel wardens there. School students in Sikar and Jhunjhunu staged strikes in support of the college students.

At the call of the SFI, students came out on to the streets in Jaipur, Sikar and Jhunjhunu in protest against the fee hike. In response to the call of a statewide Chakka Jam on September 20, road blockades were erected from September 19 night itself in front of the Jaipur Collectorate on the Jaipur-Bikaner National Highway, and also near Badhadhar. By next morning, thousands of people had blocked the roads at more than two dozen places in Sikar district. Apart from students, common people too blocked roads in the neighbouring Jhunjhunu district as well.

The police resorted to lathicharges and used tear gas in Sikar, Badhadhar, Losan, Harsava, Ringas, Kahava and Palsana, and tried to remove the road jam by threatening the protesters by opening fire in the air. But the people foiled all these attempts at intimidation. At Badhadhar and Harsava, policemen entered some houses and beat the inmates, injuring several children, women and the aged. The police superintendent himself showed enthusiasm in beating the people. At Harsava, policemen barbarically beat the local sarpanch, which created an atmosphere of fear as well as anger in the area, and hundreds of villagers surrounded the police station. The gherao was ended only after the higher officials publicly apologised.

Police terror continued till the evening in Badhadhar. When the CPI(M) state secretary Vasudev reached Badhadhar and Harsava to take stock of the situation, hundreds of policemen and RAC jawans attacked his jeep, seriously injuring ten party workers accompanying him. This was followed by the arrest of the CPI(M) state secretary, state secretariat member Peka Ram, state Kisan Sabha secretary and several others. This, however, incensed the people who began to collect at the police station in large numbers. Fearful of the mass anger, the administration ultimately felt compelled to release those arrested. Yet, the police kept in detention more than 10 students under section 307, and instituted false cases against several persons including women.      

On the other hand, police resorted to a barbaric lathicharge on the students at Jhunjhunu, when they were demonstrating to demand the release of arrested students. Some media persons were also injured.

There were big demonstrations and rallies in Hanumangarh, Jhunjhunu, Bhadra and Ganganagar against police repression. More than 2,500 people staged a militant demonstration in front of the Collector’s office in Sikar on September 23, though it was a public holiday. They were addressed by CPI(M) state secretary Vasudev, Amraram (MLA), SFI state secretary Sanjay Madhav and other leaders who warned the BJP state government that the agitation would be intensified if the students’ demands were not conceded and the guilty police officials brought to book. The SFI organised a gherao of the Rajasthan University on September 27. The DYFI also joined it.

The militant actions organised by the SFI of pro-student issues during the last two years have unnerved the organisations like the pro-Congress NSUI and pro-BJP ABVP. It was under the SFI’s leadership that students of Bikaner University had two years ago forced the authorities to withdraw the hike in some fees. The SFI also played a notable role in support of the peasants’ movement in the Indira Gandhi Canal Project area and thereby earned a distinct identity as a fighting organisation.