People's Democracy

Eighth All India Conference Of DYFI Begins

Subir Banerjee from Chennai

THE Eighth all India conference of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) got off to a rousing start with a colorful march of white shirt volunteers to the Vellore Shaheed Nagar, Chennai on May 7, 2007. The torch of the procession was received by the general secretary Tapas Sinha and the president K N Balagopal unfurled the DYFI flag. Floral tributes were paid at the martyrs’ column by the delegates.

The inaugural session of the conference began on May 8, 2007. S Kannan, secretary of the reception committee welcomed the delegates. Eminent journalist N Ram, chairman of the reception committee delivered the inaugural address. The venue of the inaugural session was called the ‘1857 Shaheed Manch’. CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and MP Sitaram Yechury, renowned film actor Bharat Mammooty addressed the conference along with other leaders. Around a thousand delegates from all over the country including more than 30 delegates from fraternal organisations of 20 countries and the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) participated in the conference. An exhibition organised on this occasion was inaugurated by Rangarajan. Cultural programmes were also organised outside the conference hall.

On May 7 afternoon, adivasi youth from the remote and inaccessible parts of far flung districts danced on the streets of Chennai to the sounds of their traditional drums as the procession of thousands of youth shouting slogans of ‘DYFI zindabad’ began. The procession started from government guest house at Chepauk and culminated at Bhagat Singh grounds. Five thousand white dress volunteers were in the forefront of the rally. People welcomed the rallyists and shouted slogans along with them at every crossing of the road.

More then seventy thousand people attended the public rally. Addressing the massive public meeting at Island ground organised in connection with the four day all India conference of DYFI, Sitaram Yechury warned the government of India and asked it to resist the heavy pressure being brought on it by the US imperialism and protect the national interests. Sitaram made clear that the Left parties were not partners in the UPA government and were extending support to it to keep the communal forces at bay. The only lakshman rekha between the Left and the UPA government is the CMP and if the government takes decisions detrimental to the interests of the people, CPI(M) would bring pressure and force it to withdraw the same, Sitaram said. He urged the youth to strengthen the movement all over the country. He said that fifty percent of population in the country constitutes youth below the age of 25 years and that the country’s future is in their hands. He reminded the people that development and any worthwhile future would be possible only if education, health and employment are provided to the youth.

Heartily welcoming the youth of the country immersed in struggles, Tapas Sinha said that the promises of the prime minister regarding employment remained only on paper and have not got translated into action and called upon the youth to launch struggles demanding the fulfillment of such promises. Freedom fighter N Sankariah, S Kannan, state leader of DYFI, S K Mahendran, MLA also addressed the meeting which was presided over by K N Balagopal.