SFI Demands Basic Necessities For Students In Lockdown
Student Struggle Editorial Team
With the outbreak of the coronavirus across the world, one of the most affected sections of the public has been students with limited means to continue their academics. This includes those who cannot afford access to online lectures via the internet. In India too, this is the condition of its students, as the country doesn’t have adequate internet penetration in its various nooks and corners. In places with internet accessibility too, students who cannot afford it exist in a large number.
Another significant issue faced by this section is that, due to the the sudden announcement of the nation-wide lockdown, most of them are stuck in their respective hostels in various parts of the nation, with no means to head back home. It is important that the university authorities and the central government ensure that their stay is as comfortable as possible, since it is only natural that most of them would be under immense mental pressure at the moment.
There has been no action taken by the government to meet the demands of the thousands of students in the country. Nor has the government paid heed to the condition of migrant workers or the plight of health workers with no PPE.
SFI, in their recent CEC statement, has made their demands to the Prime Minister clear: alternative arrangements for students with no access to internet to continue their academics, and suspend hostel fees for students who have had to stay back.
Read the full statement below:
Actions speak louder than words
With the onslaught of global pandemic like the Corona virus, the virulent inequality that exists in our society is more visible than ever. The virus that is known for its non observance to class bias has put the world on their heels and unmasked the real faces of the ruling class thus jeopardising the basic necessities required to sustain a human life. The Students’ Federation of India demands that the government ensures these basic rights to each and every Indian irrespective of any bias.
With the sudden announcement of lockdown, the daily wage labourers of which migrant labourers are a major part are finding it hard to make both ends meet.
With the shutdown of schools, many institutions have sought refuge in online classes. However many students have no access to internet and the government is not at all keen to address this question. SFI sees this as a step as draconian as class division. Any alternative from the government would have been appreciated.
SFI also demands to suspend the hostel fees until lockdown as students find it difficult to relocate to their home town and are forced to stay in the hostel in midst of the global pandemic and the economic crisis looming above. Also a lot of students are forced to stay in rented rooms across the nation without hostel facilities. The government should ensure that there will be no rent collected from the students who are left without any other options but stay at wherever they are. We also demand immediate release of scholarships for the students and it must directly deposit to their bank accounts.
The government is least bothered about the well being of health workers and doctors. SFI has sent mass petition to the Prime Minister demanding safety of our care givers and allowance of N95 masks and PPE kits for all associated in the field of health and medicine.
SFI has been organising community kitchens, sanitisation services, mask making for people who have no means to buy or procure food or buy sanitary products or cannot afford an internet connection. SFI has also been organising Blood Donation camps across the country so that blood banks do not run dry.
Lastly, we applaud the government of Kerala for doing a brilliant task of bringing down the coronavirus cases in the state and flattening the curve, which has attracted attention and praises globally. The inclusive nature of the Kerala government’s policies which have looked into the needs of the migrant labourers, women facing domestic violence due to the lockdown, ensuring ration to every family, distribution of midday meals, providing mental health assistance to the people etc. to name a few, is something that all other state governments and especially the government at the centre should take lessons from.
We should remember that, an inefficient government is like the virus that kills its host.
VP Sanu (President)
Mayukh Biswas (General Secretary)
Follow us for regular updates!
Telegram
t.me/studentstrugglein
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/studentstrugglemonthly
WhatsApp
https://chat.whatsapp.com/BvEXdIEy1sqIP0YujRhbDR