AISA’s 8th national conference was held in New Delhi on 10-11 May, in the north campus of the Delhi University. The inaugural session of the 2-day national conference was addressed by CPI(ML) general secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya, human rights activist Prashant Bhushan, DUTA President Nandita Narain, AIPWA secretary Comrade Kavita Krishnan and leaders of SFI, AISF, DSF and AIDSO. Around 300 delegates from Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karbi Anglong, Madhya Pradesh, Maharshtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu attended the conference.
Welcoming the delegates and guests at the inaugural session, AISA’s national president Sucheta De pointed that the conference was being held in the backdrop of several dangerous policy changes being mooted by the Modi government. She stressed that the student community and the student movement has the historic responsibility to oppose the systematic saffronisation of education, the choice-based credit system, the common Central University Act and RUSA.
DUTA President Nandita Narain said that the proposed CBCS was just FYUP in another form, and should be opposed by another movement on the scale of the anti-FYUP movement. She underlined the fact that the blueprint of privatisation of education was put in place by the previous UPA government, and is now being aggressively pursued by the Modi government. Pointing out that various Indian governments are following WTO diktats to declare education as a ‘tradeable commodity’, she added that the script of selling out education is being written globally. Human rights advocate Prashant Bhushan also addressed the conference and said that sycophants and ideologues of the RSS are being placed at the head of all the institutions of our country. All dissent is being curbed and activists are being hounded. Prof Saibaba who is 80% disabled is denied bail, while Salman Khan who has been clearly convicted is granted bail immediately, he added.
CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, addressing the conference, noted that the conference was being held on the anniversary of the historic 1857 war of independence against the colonial British rule. He said that the significance and relevance of 1857 is all the more relevant now, when the ruling government is hell-bent on instituting a new form of ‘Company Raj’ and carrying forward the British legacy of divide and rule. Kavita Krishnan welcomed the conference on behalf of AIPWA as well as the All India Peoples’ Forum (AIPF), and said that students have a historic role to play in challenging the ideological assaults of the ruling powers. “Today, the likes of Dinanath Batra try to tell us that it is ‘anti-national’ to blow candles and cut a cake on one’s birthday, while it is perfectly patriotic to deny Indian students the right to a decent, quality and affordable education! They try to tell us that it is ‘women’s empowerment’ to prevent women from marrying men of their choice – the entire patriarchal and communal Love Jihad campaign is being run in the name of protecting women’s rights. In such a situation, it is students and youth who can play a very crucial role in redefining the meaning of ‘nationalism’, and women’s rights”, she said.
Addressing the conference, Vishwajeet, national secretary of AISF, said that the need of the hour was to unitedly oppose the blatant commercialisation of education as well as the replacement of history and science with myth. Ashok, national secretary of AIDSO, also spoke in detail of the nature of assaults on the education sector. Sunand, Delhi secretary of SFI and Ishan from the DSF also addressed the conference, and stressed on the need for collective, united resistance of left and progressive student organisations to the ongoing policy assaults. Several speakers pointed out that the so-called ‘reforms’ were actually ‘deforming’ the education sector as well as workers, peasants and the poor.
During the 2-day conference, student leaders and activists deliberated in detail on the need to oppose CBCS, RUSA, the common Central University Act and the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations. Detailed documents on the intent and content of all these policies were presented at the conference. The conference discussed AISA’s initiatives and plans for the future in various states. It also planned nation-wide protests and agitations against these policy assaults – demanding their roll back and also demanding thoroughgoing efforts to ensure social inclusion in education. Implementation of the Thorat Committee report, the Sachar committee recommendations, setting up cells to address sexual harassment in all campuses, enhancement of funds for financial assistance, and for SC/ST hostels and scholarships were also discussed. It was also resolved to oppose the Modi government’s plans to officially accept the addition of education under WTO/GATS.
A 57-member National Executive and a 115-member Council was elected. Comrades Farhan Ahmed, Ranjeet Kramsa, Rinki and Ranajoy were elected as Vice Presidents. Comrades Sunil Maurya, Ajit Kushwaha, Saikat Maity and Abhilasha were elected as joint secretaries. Comrade Sucheta De was elected as AISA’s National President, while Comrade Sandeep Saurav was elected as national General Secretary.