Is another Godhra in the making?

A 20 year old inmate of an orphanage burned alive. Churches, prayer houses, shops and houses of Christian minorities attacked. The saffron brigade has struck again.
An orphanage housing innocent juvenile inmates belonging to a minority institution has been set on fire and upto 14 people have been killed by the VHP and the Bajrang Dal goons as the violence spreads to many parts of orissa. The saffron brigade has resorted to these gory acts because one of their leaders, a sadhu, was killed by the Maoists. What has Rasanand Pradhan, the victim done? Why was she, who was not associated to either of these extremist organizations, killed so bruttally?
The BJP and Bajrang Dal acted in tandem – when the Dal and VHP carried out the inhuman actions the BJP was shamelessly taking advantage of the issue by stalling the legislative process in Assembly. Last week this same fascist outfit has vandalised the art summit by the noted Indian painter M F Hussain. At the event, a painter of Hussain's stature was treated with utmost disrespect and contempt by these fundamentalists.
Graham Staines and his two small boys, the thousands of muslims in Gujarat and now the church inmates in Orissa-WHO IS NEXT? Are we seeing the resurgence of those dark days of Gujart in 2002. Are we seeing the return of the saffron terror? Is India again being thrown into communal strifes and 'Hindutva Fascism'?

We condemn the Orissa Killing!
We condemn the Fascist policies of Hindutva forces!


JOIN HANDS TO FIGHT COMMUNALISM!!!!
DECLARE A WAR CRY AGAINST THE COMMUNALISTS IN THE CAMPUS!!

SFI

SFI opposes VC's statements

The University of Hyderabad VC in his I-Day speech has announced that any agitations or protests which will affect the smooth functioning of administrative and academic activities will be viewed as serious 'indiscipline'. Those students who are found to engage in such activities will be dealt with a minimum punishment of a cut in the fellowship amount for two months and disciplinary actions leading to suspension/rustication. Many of the students' organizations have welcomed this undemocratic statement of the VC. The SFI has campaigned against this decision of the administration and planned to launch a campaign against this order, which is clearly anti-student community and anti-democratic. The order by the VC is a manifestation of the growing sense of fear of the administration for such activities which were instrumental in bringing out many of the deficiencies of the administration and which has brought about many structural changes.

Taxi wars: Migrant Labour in Neo-liberal America


Lecture By
Biju Matthew
Assistant Professor of Business
Rider University
New Jersey,USA

Date: 12 August 2008,Tuesday
Time: 4.00 p.m.
Venue: Recreation Room, Students Union Office





Student's Federation of India (SFI)-HCU Unit

Rally for Hostel Accommodation

On 8th of August the SFI undertook a rally to the VC's office raising issues of that are of immediate concern to the students of the campus. The major issues raised were the unavailability of hostel for nearly 800 students and fee hike. The issue of the unavailability of hostel has been the hot issue on the campus for few days and the SFI is the only student organization who has taken this issue up and launched a protest campaign. The administration which has assured that there wont be any fee hike this year has gone back on their word.The mass protest which saw students participating forgetting organizational loyalities was a big success as the VC assured the SFI that 250 students would be provided hostel in three days and the rest would be accommodated shortly.

The SFI also launched the campaign against the Students Union which was indifferent to the problem of students and whose members are not found on the campus.

introduction

The SFI-HCU Unit, which worked in the name University Discussion Forum(UDF) earlier, has been the most vibrant and popular student’s organization ever since its inception. The SFI has been extremely successful in working among the students and its unmatched success in the Student’s Union election for 5 years (winning almost all the seats with allies between 2002 and 2007.) at a stretch is an apparent testimony of its popularity and credibility. We have fought the communal elements( ABVP) without a compromise and have been successful in maintaining the secular fabric of our campus. We have been carrying on a relentless fight against gender bias, sexual violence and towards a more gender sensitive campus. The SFI has never taken a backseat I fighting for the rights of the students.

our major recent achievements

• We have been extremely successful in restructuring the Committee Against Sexual Harassment (CASH) and it was our effort in the year 2008 that a new constitution was adopted by the university.

• We were successful in pressurizing the administration to construct a 24 hour reading room near library and also for extending the library hours from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

• The scheme for Merit cum Means scholarship was restructured by our presence in the Student’s Union in a way that many more students could be helped, especially those from the weaker sections of the society.

• We have fought against the administration decision to increase the fees once every year and were successful in rolling back the decision.

our major recent struggles

• We went on struggle for more than 6 months to make the verdict public in a sexual harassment case filed against the Student’s Union Sport’s Secretary (belonging to the ABVP)

• We led a struggle in form of signature campaigns and protests for the construction for new hostels

• We went on an indefinite hunger strike for elevating the health care facilities on campus along with other progressive groups.

• We protested the comments inciting communal hatred by a politician brought to campus by ABVP on the eve of Sukoon-2008 along with other secular groups on the campus.