News Analysis India

Tag: SFI

  • Israel- Hamas war: SFI members holding Pro-Palestine demonstration detained in Delhi

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Students’ Federation of India (SFI) members were detained in the national capital while holding a pro-Palestine demonstration on Monday.

    SFI members were detained at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road in the national capital when they were on their way to the Israel Embassy to hold a demonstration amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

    #WATCH | SFI members holding pro-Palestine demonstration, on their way to Israel Embassy, detained at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam road in Delhi pic.twitter.com/Wjs4T7Lkcd
    — ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2023
    There have been a number of public rallies in India both in support of Israel and Palestine since the war between Israel and Hamas began after the terror group’s sudden attack in Israel on October 7.

    On October 19, Women in the Saidabad area of Hyderabad gathered at a Dargah ground to demonstrate solidarity with Palestine.

    Earlier on October 17, a group of people staged a public march in Ahmedabad in support of Israel in its ongoing war with Palestine-based militant group Hamas.

    The war, which is in its 17th day on Monday, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides.

    At least 3,478 people have been killed with more than 12,000 others injured in the Gaza Strip since Israel began bombarding the coastal enclave on October 7. 

    At least 1,300 Israelis were killed in the Hamas attacks that started the latest conflict, while at least 199 people are thought to have been taken hostage by the militant group. After that, Al-Ahil Hospital, which was packed with wounded and other Palestinians seeking shelter, was destroyed in an air strike, killing at least 500 Palestinians.  Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

    NEW DELHI: Students’ Federation of India (SFI) members were detained in the national capital while holding a pro-Palestine demonstration on Monday.

    SFI members were detained at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road in the national capital when they were on their way to the Israel Embassy to hold a demonstration amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

    #WATCH | SFI members holding pro-Palestine demonstration, on their way to Israel Embassy, detained at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam road in Delhi pic.twitter.com/Wjs4T7Lkcdgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
    — ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2023
    There have been a number of public rallies in India both in support of Israel and Palestine since the war between Israel and Hamas began after the terror group’s sudden attack in Israel on October 7.

    On October 19, Women in the Saidabad area of Hyderabad gathered at a Dargah ground to demonstrate solidarity with Palestine.

    Earlier on October 17, a group of people staged a public march in Ahmedabad in support of Israel in its ongoing war with Palestine-based militant group Hamas.

    The war, which is in its 17th day on Monday, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides.

    At least 3,478 people have been killed with more than 12,000 others injured in the Gaza Strip since Israel began bombarding the coastal enclave on October 7. 

    At least 1,300 Israelis were killed in the Hamas attacks that started the latest conflict, while at least 199 people are thought to have been taken hostage by the militant group. After that, Al-Ahil Hospital, which was packed with wounded and other Palestinians seeking shelter, was destroyed in an air strike, killing at least 500 Palestinians.  Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

  • Constitutional values ‘at stake’ under BJP rule: Manik Sarkar 

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: Secularism, federal structure, and rights of people were ‘at stake’ under the BJP-led government at the Centre, former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar said on Friday.

    The institutions, which were created to safeguard the Constitution, were ‘under attack’ with the electoral process becoming ‘a farce’ at the hands of the saffron party, the Tripura Opposition leader said at a rally.

    The rally was organised by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of CPI(M), and the Tribal Students’ Federation.

    “The Election Commission of India is a self-governed body established by the Constitution of India. It is supposed to create a level playing ground for all the political parties. There should not be discrimination against any political party be it the ruling party or opposition. Nowadays, the election has become a farce at the hands of the BJP as people in power are using money and muscle power”, the CPI(M) leader claimed.

    In a reference to BJP national president J P Nadda’s recent speech in Patna, Sarkar said according to the BJP leader, there is no need to have regional or smaller political parties in the country.

    “It is nothing but a reflection of the BJP leader’s fascist attitude”, the Leader of Opposition in Tripura Assembly said.

    ALSO READ | Ruling CPM in Kerala allege attempts to sabotage lone left govt in the country

    Claiming that the Lok Sabha has turned into a ‘stage for puppet show’, Sarkar said 15-16 Bills are passed in the lower house in a day during BJP rule.

    “What is happening? There is no scope for discussion on these Bills. It is an attempt to attack the foundation of Parliamentary democracy”, the CPI(M) politburo member said.

    Heaping praise on the SFI and the TSF for organising the ‘Save Constitution’ rally, the former chief minister called upon the students and youth to raise their voices to uphold the constitutional values in the country.

    “It was not only the mission of the freedom fighters to get India liberated from the British but also to form a country where there will be no economic and political disparity. Unfortunately, this is not fulfilled yet”, the Left leader said.

    AGARTALA: Secularism, federal structure, and rights of people were ‘at stake’ under the BJP-led government at the Centre, former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar said on Friday.

    The institutions, which were created to safeguard the Constitution, were ‘under attack’ with the electoral process becoming ‘a farce’ at the hands of the saffron party, the Tripura Opposition leader said at a rally.

    The rally was organised by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of CPI(M), and the Tribal Students’ Federation.

    “The Election Commission of India is a self-governed body established by the Constitution of India. It is supposed to create a level playing ground for all the political parties. There should not be discrimination against any political party be it the ruling party or opposition. Nowadays, the election has become a farce at the hands of the BJP as people in power are using money and muscle power”, the CPI(M) leader claimed.

    In a reference to BJP national president J P Nadda’s recent speech in Patna, Sarkar said according to the BJP leader, there is no need to have regional or smaller political parties in the country.

    “It is nothing but a reflection of the BJP leader’s fascist attitude”, the Leader of Opposition in Tripura Assembly said.

    ALSO READ | Ruling CPM in Kerala allege attempts to sabotage lone left govt in the country

    Claiming that the Lok Sabha has turned into a ‘stage for puppet show’, Sarkar said 15-16 Bills are passed in the lower house in a day during BJP rule.

    “What is happening? There is no scope for discussion on these Bills. It is an attempt to attack the foundation of Parliamentary democracy”, the CPI(M) politburo member said.

    Heaping praise on the SFI and the TSF for organising the ‘Save Constitution’ rally, the former chief minister called upon the students and youth to raise their voices to uphold the constitutional values in the country.

    “It was not only the mission of the freedom fighters to get India liberated from the British but also to form a country where there will be no economic and political disparity. Unfortunately, this is not fulfilled yet”, the Left leader said.

  • SFI demands increase in seats in both higher secondary and UG level in West Bengal

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has demanded an increase in seats for students in higher secondary and undergraduate level as the pass percentage in both Class 10 and 12 West Bengal board examination this year was 100 hundred per cent.

    The SFI is the students’ arm of the CPI(M).

    SFI state general secretary Srijan Bhattacharya said in a statement on Tuesday, to accommodate this increased number of students raising the seats at both levels in higher secondary schools and colleges/universities are the need of the hour.

    The SFI iterated its earlier demand of partially starting physical on-campus classes in educational institutions after vaccinating all the students.

    “The past one and half year’s experience shows a sizeable section of students cannot afford smartphones or tabs which are necessary to attend online classes and semester exams and on-campus classes are the only solution,” Subhajit Sarkar, SFI state committee member told PTI.

    The SFI statement described this as ‘digital divide’ claiming this resulted in the dropout of many students, many of them girls from poor families and can be an impediment to female education.

    Alleging that both the BJP government at the Centre and TMC government in West Bengal have shown scant concern to the issue, the SFI demanded a stimulus package be declared for the underprivileged students on an emergency basis.

  • CPM’s student, youth wings back on Bengal streets to run community kitchens

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: A number of voluntary and Left organisations in the city and districts have set up community kitchens to provide food to the poor so that they do not go hungry during the lockdown imposed to check the surge in COVID-19 cases.

    One such community kitchen is Jadavpur Sramajibi Canteen run by Left organisations SFI and DYFI for the past one year in the southern belt, including Netajinagar, Azadgarh, Baghajatin, and 8B bus stand in Jadavpur station area of the city.

    Each day our struggle becomes easier due to people like them. Thanks to Kaleidoscope-বিচিত্রদৃক্ and Anirban Dasgupta for extending help to Red Volunteers. #RedVolunteers pic.twitter.com/WbLGeNBL1r
    — Dipsita (@DharDipsita) May 14, 2021

    “While for past one year we have been operating the canteen where one can have a meal of rice, vegetables, egg or fish by paying a token amount of Rs 20, imposition of the lockdown has rendered hundreds in the area penniless and we have started distributing lunch packets for free to a certain section of people, who can’t even pay Rs 20, and are starving for past several days,” an SFI leader of Jadavpur University said.

    The Jatiyo Bangla Sammelan, a social organisation promoting Bengali culture and language, has set up community kitchens in the city and Hooghly and Nadia districts.

    Siddhabrata Das said on behalf of the organisation that volunteers are distributing food packets for free among the underprivileged, particularly daily wage earners, in Ballygunge area of the city, Konnagar, Nabagram, Chanditala areas of Hooghly, and Shantipur area of Nadia districts.

    “Every single member of our organisation, as well as numerous well wishers, have chipped in to help us in different ways. We are happy to serve people at the time of the pandemic and lockdown. We will help them in the future as well,” Das said.

    Red Volunteers are relentlessly working everyday. Pictures of Red Volunteers carrying oxygen cylinder to a patient’s house in Jamuria, today. pic.twitter.com/KoAzN30XL7
    — Aishe (ঐশী) (@aishe_ghosh) May 12, 2021

    Each food packet has rice, dal, vegetable, and egg curry.

    Actor Rwitobroto Mukherjee, social activist Joyraj Bhattachadya, actor Anirban Bhattacharya, dancer Srabanti Bhattacharya, and others have joined hands to provide affordable meal parcels comprising rice, dal, vegetables, and egg curry at Rs 20 to 400-450 poor people in Baje Shibpur area of Howrah.

    The Priyonath Manna Bastee Community Kitchen launched since the last lockdown in 2020, is mostly funded by the amount raised through concerts participated by dedicated young individuals from different walks of life.

    A token amount of Rs 20 is charged for every plate to cover the basic cost, Joyraj said.

    Srabanty, an acclaimed classical dancer said, “whatever amount we raise by our performances, we spend on this project.”