People's Democracy

SFI All India Jatha Focused The Educational Demands

A view of SFI jatha in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. SFI general secretary K K Ragesh is leading the jatha.

SFI Jatha organised with the slogans of Universal education, Social justice and Intellectual self-reliance is a historical one in the history of student movement in India. SFI All India jatha which started in Banglore entered Andhra pradesh through Thada of Nellore district on November 12. It passed through 14 districts of Nellore, Prakasham, Guntur, Nalgonda, RangaReddy, Hyderabad, Warangal, Khammam, Krishna, West Godavari, East Godavari, Vishakapatnam, Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam. Students welcomed the jatha very enthusiastically. Hundreds of students received jatha at their respective towns and cities. An extensive campaign with posters, banners and wall writings was organised earlier to make this jatha a grand success. 90,000 pamphlets were distributed among students and academic community. 

The jatha got enormous response in the state. Though it was raining when the jatha reached Andhra pradesh border, more than 100 hostel students waited for three hours and welcomed the jatha even in the rain. They welcomed the jatha in 18 centres. 3060 students took part in the welcome meeting. In Hyderabad, the leaders garlanded the statues of Dr.B.R.Ambekar and Babu Jag Jevan Rao and offered tributes. In two centres of Warangal and Bhuvanagiri, students with fancy dresses depicting American imperialism and World Bank being pulled down by them welcomed the jatha symbolising our struggle against imperialism. In Khammam more than 150 students welcomed with musical drums and torch lights at mid night. In Ongole town, school children, nursing and degree college students stood on both the sides of the roads and welcomed the jatha in three centers. NCC students welcomed the jatha in Srikakulam district.

All India leaders visited SC,ST school hostels during the jatha. K K Ragesh, All India general secretary criticised the AP government for not providing better facilities in the hostels. State government should take necessary steps in uplifting the downtrodden students who are staying in hostels, he said. He also observed the quality of food provided to the students and saw the unhygienic conditions prevailing in the hostels and demanded the government to allocate more funds to SC, ST and BC hostels for proper maintenance.

In four centers 12,700 students participated in rallies carrying flags and banners with various demands. SFI AP committee collected 4 lakh signatures on the eleven demands and handed over to Ragesh. Public meetings were held in 16 centers. 11,650 students participated in the meetings. Ragesh addressed the students in various centers demanding the constitution of a national commission on education, bringing the right to education bill at centre, enacting a legislation to control fees and admissions in professional colleges at central and state level and implementing 50 percent reservations in private professional colleges, spending 6 percent of GDP and 10 percent of central budget for education. He asked the centre to take back the proposal of allowing foreign universities in our country, to reverse the recommendations of Ambani-Birla committee report and take necessary steps in constituting committees against sexual harassment in institutions.

FRATERNAL GREETINGS

The jatha was greeted by N.Narsimaiah CPI (M) legislative leader, T Veerabhadram, MLA from Khammam, Mrs Afroze Sameena chair person Khammam municipality, D Mallesh deputy chair person Miryalaguda municipality, Madala Venkateshwarlu deputy chair person Nellore municipality, Sudarshan, secretary CPI(M) Khammam district, Krishanmurthy secretary CPI(M) Vijayanagaram district, Ch.Tejeshwar Rao secretary CPI(M) Srikakulam district, Subba Rao general manager of Prajashakthi Khammam edition . From academic community, Professor Vinayaka Reddy of Kakatiya university, Mr Laxman Rao of Hindu College Guntur, principal of DNR college Beemavaram, L V Rao of Shanthi college, Veeranna of Baby moon school, Murali Mohan from Century school, Khammam also supported our Jatha. In most of the districts our former SFI leaders not only participated but also took initiative for the success of the jatha. DYFI, AIDWA, CITU also greeted the jatha.

K K Ragesh and other all India leaders P K Biju, Banitha, Selva, K Harikishore, K Mallesh secretary and president of AP , K Chandra Mohan , CEC member led the jatha in state.

In Punjab

SFI’s All India jatha march for universal education, intellectual self-reliance and social justice arrived in Punjab on November 10. Three programs were organised by Punjab SFI and this jatha was led by Ritabrata Banerjee, All India joint secretary, Ashok Negi state secretary HP, Harmandeep Singh Gill president Punjab, Swarnjit Singh Dalio secretary Punjab and Gurpal Dhaliwal vice president of Punjab SFI. A student conference was held at Patiala on November 10. Students from many institutions of Patiala, Ropar and Mansa participated in it.

On November 11, film shows had been organised in Punjab University. It was an effective programme. Two films of Charlie Chaplin had been played. After that on November 13, an open rally was held at Bhagat Singh Chowk, Abohar. Many students from this border belt participated in the rally.

Addressing these programs, SFI leaders had said that education is one of the important factors responsible for the progress of any nation. In our country where majority of the population is young, unless the vast potential is put to proper use the country cannot think of building a Knowledge Society. The concerns of quality, quantity and equality in education have to be immediately addressed. The state should assume the responsibility of satisfying the educational aspirations of the vast sections of our population. Steps should be initiated to increase the budgetary allocations to education and spend at least 6 percent of the GDP on education as promised in the Common Minimum Programme. Social justice has to be ensured in the education system and reservation has to be provided for backward sections in the society even in the private education institutes, the leaders emphasised.