People's Democracy

PUNJAB

12th State Conference of DYFI Held

Asha Nand

THE twelfth state conference of Democratic Youth Federation of India was held at Shaheed Sohan Singh Desi Nagar, Shaheed Kewal Krishan, Hina Hall, Barnala on September 14-15, 2007. Around 200 delegates participated in the conference.

The conference began with the flag hoisting by the DYFI state president. The delegates paid tributes at the martyrs column. A condolence resolution was placed. Surinder Khiwa, Charanjit Mandouli, Gurnek Singh Bhajjal, Kalu Ram, Narinder Gassal, Harpal Purba and Rajinder Kaur Raju presided over the conference. Sukhdev Singh Bari, chairman of preparatory committee delivered the welcome address.

The conference resolved to strengthen the youth movement in the state against the increasing intervention of imperialism in the country, offensive of the communal forces and drug addiction among the youth and for the demands of the youth relating to education and employment.

DYFI all India general secretary Tapas Sinha inaugurated the conference. He said DYFI is the biggest youth organisation of the country with a membership of more than 1.65 crore. He said in 1980 when DYFI was formed, its membership was only 12.5 lakh. It is the struggle on the issues of the youth and sacrifice of our leaders and cadre which made our organisation strong, he said and added that the present UPA government is not fulfilling its commitments in the common minimum programme. By implementing the policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation dictated by the imperialist agencies - WTO, World Bank and IMF, the central government is denying the youth of employment opportunities. He called upon the delegates to strengthen the youth movement in the state and fight the anti-people, anti-youth, imperialist and communal forces.

Asha Nand, state secretary placed the work report. 23 delegates took part in the discussions. After reply on the discussions, the report was passed unanimously. Resolutions on various issues were also passed unanimously by the conference. In the evening, a rally was organized at shaheed Bhagat Singh chowk. Tapas Sinha, Balwant Singh, vice president of CITU, Asha Nand and Surinder Khiwa, state secretary and president of DYFI addressed the rally. Fraternal delegates Rachhpal Singh of AIKS, Bhup Chand Channo of AIAWU, Badowan Lal Jhanda from brick kiln workers union also addressed the conference.

In the concluding address, P Shriram Krishnan, all India president of DYFI said that the process of building organisation has two faces, one is to produce contacts with masses and the other is to develop cadre from the masses. He said that DYFI is not a political party, but politics is effecting every feature of our life. Therefore we should have to take politics which is in favour of the masses to the youth in our contacts. He said that the units are the back bone of the organisation and should be given more attention.

The newly elected state committee consists of 43 members and secretariat of 15 members with Surinder Khiwa as president and Asha Nand as secretary.