People's Democracy

KERALA DYFI CONFERENCE

Fight Casteism, Communalism, Superstition

E Rajesh

THE state conference of DYFI which concluded in Kannur on January 5, decided to intervene aggressively on issues relating to the protection of renaissance values, and called upon the people to join the fight against fundamentalist activities in the state. DYFI would launch vigorous campaigns against casteism, communalism and superstitions that had once been thrown away from Kerala society but were gaining acceptance nowadays, the conference declared. 
Professor Prabhat Patnaik, eminent economist and state planning board vice-chairman inaugurated the conference. He said the idea that development should be above politics was an imperialist concept being promoted and it was meant to destroy political activities in the third world countries. Development activities should benefit the people. Prof. Patnaik noted that with the emergence of the finance capital, workers' rights were being attacked and welfare measures rolled back. The imperialist forces were today stronger in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, he added. Observing that the neo-liberal policies meant free flow of global finances and abolition of all barriers, he said these policies were causing more unemployment. 

At the beginning of the conference, state president P Sree Ramakrishnan hoisted the flag. M V Jayarajan, chairman of the reception committee welcomed the delegates and P Sree Ramakrishnan presided over the inaugural session. State vice-president V V Ramesan moved the martyrs’ resolution and joint secretary R Sanalkumar moved the condolence resolution. All-India president K N Balagopal, state general secretary A Pradeepkumar, CPI(M) Central committee member E P Jayarajan, party state secretariat member M V Govindan, district secretary P Sasi, AIDWA state secretary K K Shylaja, SFI state president Sindhu Joy, secretary M Swaraj and Kerala School Teachers' Association state secretary A K Chandran also were present. 

The speakers in the inaugural session emphatically declared that the martyrdom of the former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein would not go in vein. Terming Saddam as an enduring symbol of popular resistance against imperial onslaughts, the speakers emphasised the increased responsibility on the youth movement in strengthening the anti-imperialist front in the state. The leaders deplored the shamefully lukewarm attitude of the UPA government towards hanging of Saddam Hussein and flayed that the government failed utterly in reflecting the sentiments of Indian people in Saddam’s brutal killing backed by the Bush administration. Stating that execution of Saddam Hussein was an act of incredible provocation to deepen the divide between Shias and Sunnis in Iraq, Prof. Prabhat Patnaik said that the United States was making a renewed attempt to turn things worse in that country. Imperialists were using an inverted logic when they said that they were trying to bring democracy, Patnaik said adding that they were in fact making all attempts to destroy democracy by reducing the rights and powers of the people. 

A Pradeepkumar, secretary presented the report. He outlined the growth of the movement since last conference and the outstanding struggles it had undertaken during the period. There was a remarkable increase in the membership from 44.50 lakhs to 46.60 lakhs. DYFI had lost 17 of its militant activists as martyrs, who had lost their lives in the hands of those belonging to right wing organisations and criminal gangs during this time. Even then, the DYFI had successfully provided undaunted leadership to youth and students in their struggle against the anti-people measures of the earlier UDF regime, specially on issues such as commercialisation of education and downsizing in government jobs, the report noted. The delegates wanted the organisation to widen its membership base to include all humanitarian and secular minded youth in the organisation. The delegates at the conference had generally appreciated the DYFI’s struggles and agitations over the last few years. Tapas Sinha, general secretary greeted the conference. After a detailed discussion and the secretary’s reply, the report was passed unanimously. 

The conference elected a 73-member state committee. The new office-bearers are M B Rajesh (president), P Sree Ramakrishnan secretary), V V Rameshan (treasurer), Baby Lal, P V Gopinath, C B Devadarshan, T K Vasu (vice-presidents), T V Rajesh, V A Zakir Hussain, K K Muhammed, N Jagadeesan, Reji Zakaria (Joint Secretaries). 
The state conference decided to constitute a youth volunteer corps to ensure youth's participation in developmental initiatives and in activities like rescue work during natural calamities. Referring to the judgment of the High Court on the Kerala Professional Colleges Act, DYFI said it would strengthen the agitation against anti-people verdicts of courts, for strengthening the credibility of the courts. The conference urged the government to reform the education sector to check the growing communal and commercial interests in the sector. 

The huge rally that marked the conclusion of the three-day conference was inaugurated by CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan. Addressing the rally he said that the Party and the LDF government would go ahead with more stringent measures to check the malicious agenda of some vested interests in higher education sector. In the name of the minority communities, nobody would be allowed to take advantage over the poor, he said. Actor Bharat Murali, DYFI president K N Balagopal, CPI(M) leaders E P Jayarajan, M V Govindan, DYFI Kashmir state secretary Mohammed Amin, A Pradeepkumar and P Sree Ramakrishnan also addressed the gathering. P V Gopnath, general convenor of the reception committee welcomed the gathering.