‘Unions In Action’: A Detailed Report

Akhil K M

On February 29, office bearers of students’ unions across the nation came together to join the efforts to resist the dark phase in the country — to unite against the steeply growing politics of hatred, particularly against state-sponsored attacks on Muslims in Delhi — to join hands for peace. The convention was a very prominent step made to the efforts at the collectivisation of struggles against the oppressive Sangh regime, protection of the secular fabric of the nation to equal opportunity to all, and an end to discrimination based on caste, religion and gender.

The convention took place following the call of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) President Aishe Ghosh, Hyderabad Central University Students’ Union President, Abhishek Nandan, and Pondicherry Central University Students’ Council President Parichay Yadav, and office bearers of student unions from across the country united under the platform aptly titled ‘Unions in Action’.

More than 200 students’ union representatives participated in the convention on 29th February at New Delhi’s Harkishan Singh Surjeet Bhavan, and additionally more than 500 representatives extended their fim solidarity. Apart from this, a group of student’s representatives from different campuses where student unions do not exist also registered their participation.

Along with Aishe, Abhishek and Parichay, Aisha Abdulkadar, General Secretary of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Students’ Union and a leader of TISS’s Progressive Students Forum (PSF), Chitharanjan, a newly elected student councillor from Gujarat Central University, also played a crucial role in organising the convention as well as setting up the platform, ‘Unions in Action’.

Besides union leaders from JNU, HCU, Pondicherry Central University, TISS Mumbai, TISS Hyderabad, and Gujarat Central University, the elected office bearers from institutions like Jadavpur University, Presidency University (both in Kolkata), Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala University, Kannur University, Calicut University (all Kerala), Himachal Pradesh University (Shimla), Ambedkar University (New Delhi) also took part in the convention.The  student representatives from places like Jamia Millia Islamia, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Mumbai University, Punjab University, and Kurukshetra University (Haryana) also participated.

While on one hand, the national capital witnessed communal violence on Muslims, on the other hand, efforts were taken and enquired into to strengthen the resistance over this politics of hatred.

Today, India is witnessing one of the largest people’s movements post-Independence. Perhaps, the most powerful social movement after Indira Gandhi’s Emergency (1975-77). Protests against the draconian Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) have been continuing since the last few months, while the communal agenda of the government has entered a new phase. At the same time, the economic situation of the county is absolutely miserable, with common people struggling for their livelihood. All the sections of the society – workers, farmers, students, women, dalits, and other minorities – are suffering under the divisive politics and policies of the current government.

Campuses all over the country have also seen a significant mobilisation amongst students to defend Constitutional principles and the idea of India as a diverse nation. Students are on the streets over a diverse set of issues – ranging from affordable education and CAA, to campus democracy. Universities like Jamia Millia Islamia, JNU, and Pondicherry University have made headlines because of their intense protests. When police resorted to violence in Jamia, the Delhi Police’s headquarters in ITO was surrounded, perhaps gheraoed by a large number of protesters from different campuses in Delhi, especially from Delhi University and JNU, and from Jamia, of course. In JNU, when student leaders including JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh are brutally attacked by the Sangh Parivar’s forces, the same solidarity is seen across different campuses. People mobilised themselves and protested in different campuses, in different forms. They marched in firm solidarity with Jamia and Aligarh, and with JNU. Be it in Rajasthan, Bengal, or Kerala – irrespective of geographical borders – a large section of progressive students stood in solidarity with the fighting students. They also took forward the cause of their own struggles. This shows that protests in each of these campuses are not isolated, but are against a common enemy – the politics of hatred.

Right now, Pondicherry University is witnessing a massive protest against fee hike. Students are on a hunger strike, determined to achieve their rights. Other campuses have also come in solidarity with the students of Pondicherry university. Places like Shaheen Bagh, which has emerged as an inevitable name in the movement against CAA, has seen a considerable number of students arriving there in solidarity with the women there.

Politics of Betrayal: ABVP and CAA

In history, though student organisations and student unions cannot be identified as two independent entities, students’ unions have played an extremely influential role to ensure wider mobilisation amongst students. At the same time, there are many instances – perhaps majority itself – of the same group aligning with the ruling class or betraying the students by associating with the corridors of power. 

When campuses like Jamia and JNU were fighting against injustice, the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), which is led by ABVP, extended their unconditional support to the divisive CAA. It must not be forgotten that many college and department unions in the university openly came out criticising the stand of the DUSU.

‘Unions in Action’, however, has declared the students’ mandate against the current oppressive regime. It aims to construct a united plan of action for the coming days for the demands concerning the student community, and also to strengthen these struggles in respective campuses, which would in turn build a stronger link with broader democratic movements and struggles outside campus spaces.

Why ‘Unions in Action’

Indeed, several platforms of different student organisations exist. It’s not to be ignored that quite a few successful campaigns were taken forward through such unities. A large section of students who otherwise were considered ‘neutral’ and ‘apolitical’ have also been joining with the protests actively at the present phase of this movement.To take this wider participation forward, however, various ways of mobilisation are required. The elected student unions have played a vital role in creating and sustaining this movement and ensuring a diverse and wider participation of students. ‘Unions In  Action’ is one of the very prominent steps to bring together such students’ unions across the country, which have been upholding progressive stands in this fight against this regime’s divisive policies.

The Convention

The opening session of ‘Unions in Action’ was addressed by eminent economist and professor at JNU, Jayati Ghosh. She praised the country’s powerful students’ movement, that she considers is leading the fight against this neo-liberal regime. (Read the transcript of Prof. Ghosh’s speech here).

After the inaugural session, a four-member panel including Abhishek Nandan and Aishe Ghosh was elected for preceding on the programme. Later, representatives from different universities addressed the delegates.

Observations and Resolutions Passed

Student leaders observed that the de-politicisation of educational spaces was one of the major hurdles they have faced while trying to build a movement inside campus. The attack on unionisation was also raised as an issue, which they observed was directly related with the privatisation of the educational system and related fee hikes across campuses – less investment on the educational sector resulted in underdevelopment of  infrastructural facilities; discrimination in access to education remains a threat largely still unresolved. The student leaders spoke of the various ways in which such attacks from the government and administration were resisted as well.

More than seven resolutions were passed. The participants resolved to continue their fight against the unconstitutional CAA-NRC-NPR trio, and unite for communal harmony; fight for free, accessible and scientific education; against the cut in welfare schemes for students from marginalised communities; against the anti-student New Education Policy (NEP) and the commodification of education; fight for democratic campus spaces.

Delhi Violence

The convention observed that the violence in Delhi was a state-sponsored one and was part of the Sangh Parivar’s agenda to divide the nation along religious, communitarian lines. Muslims, particularly, and other common people were targeted and victimised by this terror unleashed by the RSS. It is clear that this violence would not have been possible without the support  of the government at the centre, the convention observed. They declared that at this juncture, the efforts to resist the terror and retain peace were required, and that the student community is to stand united to help the efforts to attain it. The convention urged that the unions had to work to build a broader unity of progressive-secular forces to strengthen the struggle against CAA-NRC-NPR and to resist Hindutva. It is pledged to defend Constitutional values as envisioned by Dr. B R Ambedkar. 

Devik Paul, SFI leader and student from Kolkata’s Presidency College warned about the “wave of depoliticisation” spilling over the culture of the college, and the efforts of some forces to polarise and communalise the students there. Paul added that Presidency students have resisted the council model being pushed by the TMC-led government. The same point was put forth by the representatives from Jadavpur University as well. Paul mentioned how the campus resisted the introduction of self- financing courses and fee hikes in certain departments. Many representatives from those including Delhi University, Himachal University, and Rajasthan University shared the experience of facing violence from ABVP. Union representatives from Kerala – most of them are part of the Left-students’ movements – expressed concern over the future of the structure of India as a secular, democratic nation, and the threat put forward by communal polarisation. They mentioned how the Left-led government in Kerala was trying to build alternatives to policies of privatisation and commercialisation being implemented by the central government.

The Need to Unionise

‘Unions in Action’ also became a platform to discuss the need for democratically elected unions on campuses. The extent of depoliticisation, which becomes a threat on one side when larger movements are occurring, also gained concern. JNUSU’s Aishe Ghosh remarked that there were attempts to terminate the process of unionisation across the country. She cited the example of the state of Karnataka, which banned student-elections in the early ‘90s. The elected unions in many campuses, though there are exceptions, provided a larger, legitimised platform to fight for the achievement of students’ rights, and also to mobilise them for larger democratic struggles. This may be an important reason why the managements of educational institutions, as well as the government, fears the existence of elected student unions.

Certainly, it is not untrue that there are many student unions which have acted and continue to act as traitors. Many of them are ruled by the right wing or are simply reluctant to take up the issues of students. It may not be even surprising that this category may be on the majority. However, in a broader sense, elections in campuses ensures a minimum opportunity to fight against regressive elements on campus, through a democratic platform. Campuses like Gujarat Central University have shown how the defeat of the Sangh Parivar in a place which is regarded as one of its bastions, is not impossible. The victory of the SFI-PDSF-ASA alliance there has given immense confidence to progressive movements across the nation.

Plan of Action

A plan of action was adopted by the convention as it’s future task. Prime importance has been given to strengthening ongoing protest movements against NRC-CAA-NPR. A mass campaign including a referendum against NRC-CAA-NPR has been decided upon. Mass oath-taking will be organised to boycott NPR. Protests against fee hikes, agitation against NEP, etc. will be carried forward. Formation of university unions through campus-elections conducted in a democratic way in all campuses has also been recognised an important task to achieve.

Programmes will be organised to commemorate the legacy of Bhagat Singh on 23rd March – to reinstate that it is important for us to become familiar not only with the heroic image of Bhagat Singh, but with his ideas and politics too. It has also been decided to take forward the movement to ensure social justice, the universal implementation of reservation, implementation of GSCASH, addressing the issues of LGBTQIA+ community in campuses, along with the other movements.

A united movement, it has been recognised, is essential for the achievement of all these tasks.

Mayukh Biswas, the All India General Secretary of SFI, addressing the convention in it’s concluding session, explained the difference between ‘organisation’ and a ‘union’. He stated that the union represents all students, and thereby, the union must work with and for all students, and not for one organisation. This is where platforms like ‘Unions in Action’ gain relevance.

VP Sanu, the All India President of SFI, also mentioned how responsible the student community and the students unions have to be today, to take the fight, which we are all a part of, forward.

The far-right has coined the term “Tukde-Tukde gang” to address the Left, the progressive forces protesting the fascistic regime of the RSS. However, the scores of people on the streets and their determined slogans show that it is not all that easy to neglect the voices of opposition. Big or small, we are all here to strengthen our fight against the saffron brigade, and in turn, to protect India as a secular, democratic republic.

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Akhil K M is an LLB student at the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, and a State Committee member at SFI-Delhi.

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