People's Democracy

Protest March Against UPA Govt�s  Betrayal Of Student Community

STUDENTS from across the country under the aegis of the Students� Federation of India (SFI) marched to parliament on February 20, 2009 to protest against the UPA government�s failure to keep its promises to students and its betrayal of the student community which had played its part in defeating the communal BJP led-NDA government.

This large, colourful rally of the students was flagged off by Sitaram Yechury, former president of SFI, member of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau and MP at Mandi House. The march culminated in a public meeting at parliament street. Addressing the students, Yechury pointed out that in the last five years the UPA government had failed to deliver upon most of its own promises, particularly in regard to education. The government utterly failed to rein in commercialisation of education in the country. He called upon the students to join the struggle for a secular, democratic and pro-people alternative at the centre.

SFI general secretary Ritabrata Banerjee congratulated the participants of the march and explained in detail the ten point chargesheet brought out on this occasion. He pointed out the failure of the UPA government regarding increasing the expenditure in education and noted its reluctance to enact the Right to Education Bill. He urged upon the students to rise to the occasion and give a fitting rebuff to the Congress-led UPA for its betrayal of the aam admi.

SFI president P K Biju urged upon the students to reject the BJP-RSS combine as they cannot offer any alternative due to their communal ideology and commitment to neo-liberal policies. He stressed the need for the student community to unite and fight for a secular, democratic and pro-people political alternative to the BJP and the Congress.

SFI joint secretary and West Bengal state secretary Kaustav Chatterjee, secretariat member and Himachal Pradesh state secretary Mahender Singh Rana, former SFI leader Albeena Shakeel and DYFI treasurer Pushpendra Tyagi also spoke on the occasion.

(INN)