PaRCha - JNU - AISF-SFI - 2000 ID-38042
.
.
MANIFESTO .
· The East Asian economic crisis hasonce again eXfX)Sed the inationalit, and fragility of Capitalism. Food riots, busted banks, Lmemployment, heightened so-cial tension and negative growth have overwhelmed the 'miracle economies' of the 'Asian tigers.' The IMF and World Bank dictated growth trajectory that has fordecades ensured the supremacy of the ruling interests of the 'first world ' has finally come unstuck at the seams. In an immediate domino effect, the Russian economy went under, thereby also imperilling the econom1c stability of Westem Europe. The Brazil-ian economy is now desperately being shored up by the Bretton wood twins in order to stall a likely world economic recession that could be unprecedented in scale since 1927-29.While attempts to manage and cushion the political and social effects of the crisis is being worked out by the panic stricken ruling interests of the world, Europe is witnessing a popular mandate for left wing policies directed chiefly against the brutal anti-people :egacies of Thatcherism and Reaganomics. .
In India, however, the BJP and its allies are trying to sail against the tide. The zeal for the much discredited and anti-people liberalization has been intensified. The new exim policy which has put consumer goods in the open general license (OGL), the opening up of the mining and insurance sector to foreign capital, the inten-sification of disinvestment in Public Sector Undertakings etc. are clear indicators that the BJP will supinely follow the dictats of the IMF andWorld Bank. For a section of the Indian capitalist class, organised under the aegis of FICCI, the BJP government has decided to dole out a subsidy of Rs. 28,000 crores in the fomn of government spend-ing on a six lane national highway.Small and petty traders, their main support base, have been given afree run, which has resulted in an unprecedented price rise. Hoard-ing and black-marketing have become the norm and the prices of essential Hems have spiraUed, severely eroding the quality of life of the working dass and marginaised sectiOflS. .
The nuclear explosions and the whipping up of a virtual hysteria in the region are all essentially being directed against the Indian people at large. Attacks on minorities have been intensified and the ugly fangs of the 'hidden' ASS agenda are now out in the open. A planned attempt has been made especially in the field of education to introduce a communal, divisive and blatantly distorted curriculum.Priva-tisation of education is clearly on the anvil as well.The HAD minister, notorious for being a ASS hard-liner, is seeking to introduce a bill termed as the Self Financing University Bill in the next sessioo of the parliament, which will be a blatant move towards privatising education. These attacks will have a deep ifllX!ct and resonance on the student movement in JNU in the coming months. .
The Campus :Consolidate and Forge Ahead .
The mandate given to the SFI-AISF in the previous election has enabled our platform to launch a series of struggles against the administration and the ABVP. The move-ment launched at the beginning of the current session by the JNUSU for temporary accommodation for students without hostel facilities was successful in forcing the authorities to concede the necessity of making aHemative anrangennents. The SC & ST quota was entirely filled in terms of the total intake.The Union's role was substan-tial in ensuring this victo_ry, which included conducting special coaching classes for .
the underprivileged. By being a responsive Union in general, the SFI·AISF was able to once again restore the faith of the students in popular action and revitalise the JNUSU as an instrument ol struggle. The JNUSU was also able to defeat through popular mobilisation of the students the alterJllts of the administration to foist an un-democratic 'sexual harassmtmt cell' (chaired !:-f a Professor of dubious leanings) oo the student community.Several other issues at the levelof the school and those affect-ing the general life of the students were also addressed. In all, these gains have to be consolidated and the students organized to face a new round of battles. .
.
THE CHALLENGES .
Restore the Progressive Admission Policy .
The SFI·AISF perceives the struggle for the restoration of the progressive aspects of the OAP (Old admission policy) as constnuting the central agenda of the left student movement on campus. Since this year will witness a review of the admis-sion policy,the SFI·AISF will struggle for the reintroduction of deprivation points based on economic, social, regional and gender deprivation with a maximum of 20 depriva· tion points. This will hopefully ensure that JNU's current bias towards urban and high income recruitment is stopped. Instead the current regional imbalance will be offset and anew slant towart".. the poor and rural areas will be initiated. Secondly,by em· powering the Student Faculty Committee's the admission process will be rendered more transparent and democratic. .
Institute the Gender Sensitisation Committee A!J!inst .
Sexual Harassment .
.
The progressive ethos fostered by the left and democratic assertion on the campus has not only enabled the nurturing of healthy gender interaction on Cam-pus but has also ensured the participation of women in various public fora. However, in the recent past anumber of attacks in the form of sexual harassment and molesta· lion ol girl students have occurred. In fact, the increase in the frequency of assault cases can be directly related to the presence of the ABVP on the Campus.The SFI· AISF have been in the forefront of the agitation demanding the institution of aGender Sens~isation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) on the lines estab-lished by the Supreme Court's directives. The election of the members to this commit· tee must follow a democratic and transparent procedure.The Committee wi Ienable the JNU community to approach issues of assauH and harassment with a view to-wards redressal ofthe crime,rehabilitation of the victimand ensuring preventive meas· ures as well. .
The strategy of the BJP government to reintroduce the Private Universities Bm under the garb of Self-Financing Universities Bill in the Winter Session of Parliament, must be defeated.This Bill will seek to severely restrict access to higher education k>r large sections of the student communHy. lt will once again attempt to absolve the state from any respOflSibility towards ensuring the fundamental right of education. .
More Hostels, More Books .
The SFI·AISF asserts that no attempt to involve students in wider struggle~ for social and e<XlflOmic equality will bear fru~ unless the confidence of students is woo over by fighting for the long standing and legitimate demands of the student commu· nHy, particularly the construction of new hostels.The SFI-AISF through the JNUSU has fought for and ensured temporary accommodatiJn for over 200 students, lhus forcing the JNU administration to accept their responsibiiHy towards outstation stu· dents.This struggle has to be furthered till permanent acccmmodation for all outsta-tion students are guaranteed. The budget allocation for new books and journals has nose dived to zero (Financial Estimates of JNU, 1997·98).This deliberate attac~ on our right to education will be fought by the SFI·AISF tooth and nail. .
Transport Facilities .
There is a virtual collapse in the system of communication in the Campus. Ever since the DTC privatised the JNU routes the number of buses plying have virtually halved.The Delhi administration is keen to allow the slide to continue. Besides, it has withdrawn the free studel1 bus-passes and discontinued the availability of stu:lent ccncession passes in the Universities .The SFI-AISF are committed to carry forward the struggle for better transport facilities and bus passes for all students including tne pressing need for U.Specials to cater to a substantial number of day scholars. .
Correcting Regional Imbalances and the SC/ST Quota. .
India is characterized by a unique brand of lopsided development which must be seen as part of the peculiarities of Hs variant of capitalism. Several regions in India are subject to the processes of restricted or under-development. Regions like the NJrth· East and Western Orissa besides vast swaths of the rural hinterland need special attention and consideration.Students from these regions mus~ therefore, get theben-efit of special coaching classes and added incentives in order to make JNU a truly representative institution ol learning.Moreover,education has sdirect bearing onena-bling these students to acq.~ire the necessary means for challenging the various types of oppression, discrimination and exploitation that are inflicts on the peoples of t1ese regions. The fulfilment of the SC/ST quota is of utmost importance and is one ~f the principle demands of the SFI·AISF platform. The reservation quota is often not filled from the sheer absence of administrative will. Such administrative lethargy vidates the very essence of the constitutional norms laid down by the late Dr. B.A. Ambedkar. .
.
.
Other Demands: .
1. .
Revision of the outdated syllabi in various centres. .
.
2. .
Immediate fulfilment of vacancies to reduce the imbalance in teacher-student ratio. .
.
3. .
Raising a strong protest against the discrimination of the Urdu language and Research by the UGC. .
.
4. .
Empowerment and revitalisation of SFCs. .
.
5. .
Increasing the MCMs and flnking it to the inflation rate. .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
PaRCha - JNU - AISF-SFI - 2000 ID-38042
.
.
MANIFESTO .
· The East Asian economic crisis hasonce again eXfX)Sed the inationalit, and fragility of Capitalism. Food riots, busted banks, Lmemployment, heightened so-cial tension and negative growth have overwhelmed the 'miracle economies' of the 'Asian tigers.' The IMF and World Bank dictated growth trajectory that has fordecades ensured the supremacy of the ruling interests of the 'first world ' has finally come unstuck at the seams. In an immediate domino effect, the Russian economy went under, thereby also imperilling the econom1c stability of Westem Europe. The Brazil-ian economy is now desperately being shored up by the Bretton wood twins in order to stall a likely world economic recession that could be unprecedented in scale since 1927-29.While attempts to manage and cushion the political and social effects of the crisis is being worked out by the panic stricken ruling interests of the world, Europe is witnessing a popular mandate for left wing policies directed chiefly against the brutal anti-people :egacies of Thatcherism and Reaganomics. .
In India, however, the BJP and its allies are trying to sail against the tide. The zeal for the much discredited and anti-people liberalization has been intensified. The new exim policy which has put consumer goods in the open general license (OGL), the opening up of the mining and insurance sector to foreign capital, the inten-sification of disinvestment in Public Sector Undertakings etc. are clear indicators that the BJP will supinely follow the dictats of the IMF andWorld Bank. For a section of the Indian capitalist class, organised under the aegis of FICCI, the BJP government has decided to dole out a subsidy of Rs. 28,000 crores in the fomn of government spend-ing on a six lane national highway.Small and petty traders, their main support base, have been given afree run, which has resulted in an unprecedented price rise. Hoard-ing and black-marketing have become the norm and the prices of essential Hems have spiraUed, severely eroding the quality of life of the working dass and marginaised sectiOflS. .
The nuclear explosions and the whipping up of a virtual hysteria in the region are all essentially being directed against the Indian people at large. Attacks on minorities have been intensified and the ugly fangs of the 'hidden' ASS agenda are now out in the open. A planned attempt has been made especially in the field of education to introduce a communal, divisive and blatantly distorted curriculum.Priva-tisation of education is clearly on the anvil as well.The HAD minister, notorious for being a ASS hard-liner, is seeking to introduce a bill termed as the Self Financing University Bill in the next sessioo of the parliament, which will be a blatant move towards privatising education. These attacks will have a deep ifllX!ct and resonance on the student movement in JNU in the coming months. .
The Campus :Consolidate and Forge Ahead .
The mandate given to the SFI-AISF in the previous election has enabled our platform to launch a series of struggles against the administration and the ABVP. The move-ment launched at the beginning of the current session by the JNUSU for temporary accommodation for students without hostel facilities was successful in forcing the authorities to concede the necessity of making aHemative anrangennents. The SC & ST quota was entirely filled in terms of the total intake.The Union's role was substan-tial in ensuring this victo_ry, which included conducting special coaching classes for .
the underprivileged. By being a responsive Union in general, the SFI·AISF was able to once again restore the faith of the students in popular action and revitalise the JNUSU as an instrument ol struggle. The JNUSU was also able to defeat through popular mobilisation of the students the alterJllts of the administration to foist an un-democratic 'sexual harassmtmt cell' (chaired !:-f a Professor of dubious leanings) oo the student community.Several other issues at the levelof the school and those affect-ing the general life of the students were also addressed. In all, these gains have to be consolidated and the students organized to face a new round of battles. .
.
THE CHALLENGES .
Restore the Progressive Admission Policy .
The SFI·AISF perceives the struggle for the restoration of the progressive aspects of the OAP (Old admission policy) as constnuting the central agenda of the left student movement on campus. Since this year will witness a review of the admis-sion policy,the SFI·AISF will struggle for the reintroduction of deprivation points based on economic, social, regional and gender deprivation with a maximum of 20 depriva· tion points. This will hopefully ensure that JNU's current bias towards urban and high income recruitment is stopped. Instead the current regional imbalance will be offset and anew slant towart".. the poor and rural areas will be initiated. Secondly,by em· powering the Student Faculty Committee's the admission process will be rendered more transparent and democratic. .
Institute the Gender Sensitisation Committee A!J!inst .
Sexual Harassment .
.
The progressive ethos fostered by the left and democratic assertion on the campus has not only enabled the nurturing of healthy gender interaction on Cam-pus but has also ensured the participation of women in various public fora. However, in the recent past anumber of attacks in the form of sexual harassment and molesta· lion ol girl students have occurred. In fact, the increase in the frequency of assault cases can be directly related to the presence of the ABVP on the Campus.The SFI· AISF have been in the forefront of the agitation demanding the institution of aGender Sens~isation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) on the lines estab-lished by the Supreme Court's directives. The election of the members to this commit· tee must follow a democratic and transparent procedure.The Committee wi Ienable the JNU community to approach issues of assauH and harassment with a view to-wards redressal ofthe crime,rehabilitation of the victimand ensuring preventive meas· ures as well. .
The strategy of the BJP government to reintroduce the Private Universities Bm under the garb of Self-Financing Universities Bill in the Winter Session of Parliament, must be defeated.This Bill will seek to severely restrict access to higher education k>r large sections of the student communHy. lt will once again attempt to absolve the state from any respOflSibility towards ensuring the fundamental right of education. .
More Hostels, More Books .
The SFI·AISF asserts that no attempt to involve students in wider struggle~ for social and e<XlflOmic equality will bear fru~ unless the confidence of students is woo over by fighting for the long standing and legitimate demands of the student commu· nHy, particularly the construction of new hostels.The SFI-AISF through the JNUSU has fought for and ensured temporary accommodatiJn for over 200 students, lhus forcing the JNU administration to accept their responsibiiHy towards outstation stu· dents.This struggle has to be furthered till permanent acccmmodation for all outsta-tion students are guaranteed. The budget allocation for new books and journals has nose dived to zero (Financial Estimates of JNU, 1997·98).This deliberate attac~ on our right to education will be fought by the SFI·AISF tooth and nail. .
Transport Facilities .
There is a virtual collapse in the system of communication in the Campus. Ever since the DTC privatised the JNU routes the number of buses plying have virtually halved.The Delhi administration is keen to allow the slide to continue. Besides, it has withdrawn the free studel1 bus-passes and discontinued the availability of stu:lent ccncession passes in the Universities .The SFI-AISF are committed to carry forward the struggle for better transport facilities and bus passes for all students including tne pressing need for U.Specials to cater to a substantial number of day scholars. .
Correcting Regional Imbalances and the SC/ST Quota. .
India is characterized by a unique brand of lopsided development which must be seen as part of the peculiarities of Hs variant of capitalism. Several regions in India are subject to the processes of restricted or under-development. Regions like the NJrth· East and Western Orissa besides vast swaths of the rural hinterland need special attention and consideration.Students from these regions mus~ therefore, get theben-efit of special coaching classes and added incentives in order to make JNU a truly representative institution ol learning.Moreover,education has sdirect bearing onena-bling these students to acq.~ire the necessary means for challenging the various types of oppression, discrimination and exploitation that are inflicts on the peoples of t1ese regions. The fulfilment of the SC/ST quota is of utmost importance and is one ~f the principle demands of the SFI·AISF platform. The reservation quota is often not filled from the sheer absence of administrative will. Such administrative lethargy vidates the very essence of the constitutional norms laid down by the late Dr. B.A. Ambedkar. .
.
.
Other Demands: .
1. .
Revision of the outdated syllabi in various centres. .
.
2. .
Immediate fulfilment of vacancies to reduce the imbalance in teacher-student ratio. .
.
3. .
Raising a strong protest against the discrimination of the Urdu language and Research by the UGC. .
.
4. .
Empowerment and revitalisation of SFCs. .
.
5. .
Increasing the MCMs and flnking it to the inflation rate. .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.