People's Democracy

SFI Congratulates Students for HCU Victory

THE central executive committee of the Students’ Federation of India, in a statement issued on November 1 congratulated the student community for voting in large number in support of the SFI panel in the recently concluded students’ union elections in the Hyderabad Central University, despite the unprecedented campaign of lies and slander, by the united opposition consisting of all political shades. SFI registered an emphatic victory, winning all the major executive posts. This is the fourth consecutive time that the student community of HCU has stood behind the banner of “Independence, Democracy and Socialism”.  Sirisha V (pursuing Integrated Masters in Economics) became the first ever woman president of the Students’ Union in the history of HCU by defeating the nearest rival candidate of ABVP by more than 90 votes. The post of general secretary was won by another SFI candidate Sandeep Kumar (pursuing MCA). He won the post with a margin of more than 50 votes. Aditya Harish contesting from SFI panel won the post of joint secretary by defeating the nearest candidate of ABVP by more than 90 votes.

This is a translation of solid commitment of the SFI unions over these four years to the needs and aspirations of the student community, while not wavering even for a moment from the larger goal of aligning with the broader movement for the social transformation. SFI approached the students’ union election with a clear cut manifesto upholding its uncompromising stand against the commercialisation, privatisation of education and communal politics while upholding the commitment for social, economic and women’s empowerment. HCU unit has played a creative role in redrawing the political contours of HCU, which hasn’t remained aloof from the neo-liberal onslaught on the public education as seen throughout the country.

Whether be it the attempts of fee hike, imposition of service charges, handover of the university land to land mafia, moral policing and restrictions on mobility of girl students - SFI has thwarted all regressive attempts of the administration over these years. The CEC is confident that the newly elected union under the leadership of Sirisha will not only take this legacy forward, but will take it to newer heights. It congratulated the SFI unit committee of the Hyderabad Central University and the Andhra Pradesh state committee for the excellent results in the elections.

The CEC has reasserted the fact that in the past few months, student community of the country has wholeheartedly supported SFI in most of the places, where elections to the colleges and universities have been conducted. Rajasthan, Himachal, Kerala and Tripura are testimony to this glaring fact. It particularly highlighted the experience of Tripura, where SFI candidates have emerged as victorious in all the seats, for which elections were conducted. It underscored the need to carry this crimson red flame of ‘Study and Struggle’ forward to those parts also where the neo-liberal onslaught on education, livelihoods and social justice still remains unabated.