SFI Pamphlet Dated 11 September 2012

Down with the Degenerate Politics of "SFI-JNU"

Yesterday’s “SFI-JNU” pamphlet says, “The President and Joint Secretary candidates of the “official” SFI panel got admission into JNU this year after the “dissolution” of the SFI-JNU unit. They are contesting the elections within two months of joining JNU, without having made a single contribution to the JNU student movement.” These remarks were repeated by “SFI-JNU’s” candidate for the post of Joint Secretary in today’s UGBM. SFI strongly condemns these statements which insult the political maturity of the student community in JNU. The students who are contesting for the posts of President and Joint Secretary in the SFI panel had applied to Direct PhD in JNU well in advance in March, not after the dissolution of SFI’s JNU unit as “SFI-JNU” suggests. All the candidates in the SFI Central panel have been associated with SFI for a long time, and have played important roles in a number of struggles, including struggles for hostels, struggles for gender justice and agitations against the commercialisation of education. The students’ movement in JNU has historically championed a politics which links itself up with larger societal concerns, not just in terms of rhetoric, but concretely in terms of movements on the ground. Political debates, both during elections and at other times, have centred on the politics and agenda of various organisations and their commitment to the issues they take up. The history of the JNU students’ movement is replete with instances when student activists who have been active in movements elsewhere brought their valuable experience and enriched the students’ movement in our campus. The sad irony is that “SFI-JNU”, the opportunist organisation that has put forward apolitical, degenerate, right-wing arguments regarding other candidates still claims to belong to the Left!  Of course, nothing better can be expected from those who, in a most servile manner, abandoned SFI’s politics tailing their overlord, Prasenjit Bose. New students shall not contest elections, says their diktat. We shudder to think what would come next. That new students should not be allowed to vote?

For a JNUSU that will fight to ensure a student-friendly and hospitable campus environment

Resist encroachments on students’ access to public spaces: The tenure of the AISA-led JNUSUs of the recent past has seen the administration bringing in a plethora of measures to restrict students’ access to university spaces. Unnecessary restrictions have been imposed on using various places, including PSR and the academic complex itself. Clampdowns on students’ programmes such as freshers’ welcome functions have been increasing. Various restrictions on the entry and movement of students in various places, often amounting to moral policing, have been increasingly put into place. Some of the restrictions imposed by wardens in certain hostels are nothing short of draconian. New restrictions regarding taking out books from some sections of the library have reduced accessibility and increased costs for students who want to make use of books in those sections. Such encroachments on students’ rights and access to university spaces have to be effectively resisted and rolled back by the students’ movement in the days to come.

Better facilities for PH and VH students: In spite of the struggle led by differently abled students earlier in the year, the dog menace continues unabated. Urgent steps need to be taken to address this issue. The infrastructure in the Helen Keller unit should be improved, and more scanned books should be provided. Transport facilities for PH students should be provided in the campus.

Improve Transport Facilities: The frequency of the 615/621 buses must be increased, and it should be ensured that they run on time. A new timekeeper should be appointed for the purpose. Metro feeder services to Hauz Khaz metro station should be started. A University Bus service connecting the major libraries in Delhi should be started as used to be the case earlier.

Mitigate Water Scarcity: Measures must be taken to address the issue of water scarcity in various hostels. Rainwater harvesting facilities should be put in place in all buildings.

Protect and Nurture the Environment: The ecological fragility of the Delhi Ridge region, of which JNU is a part, must be taken into account while constructing new buildings, and the adverse impact on the environment has to be minimised.

Health Centre: The health centre should function 24x7. Another ambulance should be provided, and equipments for basic diagnostic tests like X-ray should be made available.

Sd/-

Subin Dennis, Rajeev Kumar, Umesh O

Co-Convenors, Central Campaign Committee, SFI

SFI Panel for JNUSU Elections

President - Kopal

Vice-President - Siddik R.

Joint Secretary - Samuel Philip Mathew

SSS

Viswanathan V

Najeeb V R

SIS

Santhosh J

Nitheesh Narayanan K V

SLL&CS

Ravi Kant

SAA

Akhila Vimal C