SFI’s Appeal To India’s Students
Student Struggle Editorial Team
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has come out with an appeal to the country’s student community to stand with the farmers protesting near New Delhi. The farmers, mostly from the region of Haryana, have been camping at the border between the new states since some days now. Their demand is to withdraw the three new Farm Bills that have been introduced by the central government, that many, including the farmers themselves, believe will be detrimental to their existence and the future of farming in India. However, the government has paid no heed to their demands and is hell bent on implementing the bills unconstitutionally. Besides, the protesting farmers are being brutally attacked by the Delhi Police and many of them, some old and ailing, have been left severely injured.
SFI, therefore, has urged the students of the country to stick together and in solidarity with the farmers in this hour of dire need. In a newly released official statement, it asks the student community to “join the fight and defend the livelihoods of those who feed us and for students to play an important role in it”.
The Students’ Federation of India Central Executive Committee makes the following appeal to the students of the country:
The nation in the recent days has witnessed the most brazen attack on the livelihood of those who feed us. The three farmer bills brought out by the Modi government changing the APMC act and removing many necessary commodities from the Essential Commodities Act removes even the little state protection for farmers by dismantling the ‘mandi system’, makes the Minimum Support Price for crops redundant by leaving them at the mercy of big corporations and makes black marketing legal. This move was passed in the most brazenly unconstitutional manner without even giving the opportunity of a floor division in the Rajya Sabha. The farmers of the country are naturally angry and feel cheated after hefty promises were made to the by this government during elections to double their income.
Since the past week, farmers from many states of the country have congregated near the border with Delhi after braving the most sinister attack from the state apparatus through police and the right wing propaganda machinery. Not only did the farmers face water cannons, tear gas and blockade of roads, but have been targeted by a lowly and vicious campaign by the BJP-RSS IT Cell to de legitimise their protest.
However, they have stood up to all attacks and are involved in a fight to save their livelihoods. Students of this country also majorly come from the families of these farmers and are fighting for an end to disparities in education and equal opportunities.
Our fight is essentially linked and part of the same process to end the exploitative conditions put up by an anti people system. Hence we must support each other. The peasants of the country need the students to be on their side.
We from the SFI CEC hence urge all to join the fight and defend the livelihoods of those who feed us and for students to play an important role in it.
VP Sanu (President)
Mayukh Biswas (General Secretary)
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