- A.Bakkiam
The Coimbatore
Police Commissioner Mr.Amalraj has in an interview portrayed the Student Federation of India (SFI) and
the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) as anti socials for
participating in the heroic and peaceful struggle organized by students and
youth 0f Tamilnadu for Jallikkattu. He has also threatened to take action if
prior permission is not taken to send any message. The Chennai City
Commissioner Mr. George has also termed the youth who took part in the struggle
for Jallikkattu as anti-nationals and anti-socials. This has created a huge
outrage among the students and the youth in Tamil Nadu. There is also
widespread condemnation in social media and political circles
Mr.Amalraj
and Mr.George can justify their speeches as police force is known to be a
repressive tool of the ruling class. They are predators. Whatever they know is
jail, beat, gun down, burn. These words and actions would be progrmmed to them.
How can anyone expect love, affection, friendship, comradeliness from these
kind of man machines? The people’s upsurge has unnerved the rulers and their
cohorts to a great extent and that is why they portray protestors as anti
socials and and anti nationals. How can ordinary police cop like Amalraj be
aware of the heroic struggles and unmatched sacrifice of the youth of
Democratic Youth Federation of India?
The young comrades of DYFI laid
down their lives for protecting the unity and integrity of the country by
standing up against Khalistanis in Punjab. Hundreds of DYFI comrades including
Gurnam Singh Uppal Sohan Singh Deshi were murdered by the Khalistan extremists
in Punjab for fighting for the unity of the country. The same DYFI fought
uncompromisingly against the militancy of ULFA and Bodo in Assam and also
against Kashmir separatists and lost hundreds of its valuable cadres. When
Bakreshwar Power project was brought in by the Left govt. in West Bengal, the
then Central govt. refused to support it financially. It was lakhs of DYFI
comrades who collected fund for the Project by donating blood. Lifesaving blood
was donated to mobilize fund for the Bakreshwar Project by the DYFI volunteers.
There is a long list of such great
sacrifices by the DYFI volunteers across the country. Education for All, Job
for all is the democratic slogan of DYFI. DYFI organized a cycle rally in 1977
demanding compensation every month for jobless youth of Tamilnadu. Only after
the huge rally did the then Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, Mr. M.G.Ramachandran
announced the relief.
A Blood Bank was started in 1986 by DYFI on March 26, Bhagat Singh’s birthday. Till today the Blood Bank functions without any interruption and it has received many awards for organizing blood donation camps. When giving blood was seen as health risk in those days and many will not venture to donate their blood it was DYFI that helped in organizing such camps by giving confidence to the youth without bias of kaki or saffron. It was the DYFI cadre who gave blood to hundreds of policemen and their families. Perhaps Mr. Amalraj or Mr. George does not know this fact.
A Blood Bank was started in 1986 by DYFI on March 26, Bhagat Singh’s birthday. Till today the Blood Bank functions without any interruption and it has received many awards for organizing blood donation camps. When giving blood was seen as health risk in those days and many will not venture to donate their blood it was DYFI that helped in organizing such camps by giving confidence to the youth without bias of kaki or saffron. It was the DYFI cadre who gave blood to hundreds of policemen and their families. Perhaps Mr. Amalraj or Mr. George does not know this fact.
In 1995 Feb 07, DYFI organized
AIDS Awareness and Drug Abuse program in Chennai. A seminar was conducted in
Kamarajar Arangam and 3000 youngsters took oath before a sitting Judge of the
Madras High Court not to take drugs. In fact, a big marathon was planned to
create awareness against drug menace by DYFI. But the Police refused permission
under the pretext of Traffic Jam. Since the Judge requested DYFI to avoid the
marathon, DYFI bowed to the request and cancelled the marathon and instead
organized the oath taking program. Tell us now whether our youth organization
which respected and still respects law is an anti social organization?
At a time when education was
deprived to lakhs of children living in slums it was DYFI which organized night
classes in more than 60 places in Chennai city. The Police then ridiculed the
idea and advised DYFI not to take such classes as they would not attend such
classes. But DYFI doggedly pursued it. After seeing the success of the whole
program, the local police praised DYFI''s efforts and said but for DYFI efforts
the village would not have developed. How can the lathi wielding Amalraj know
about it?
It was DYFI in 1992 that demanded
solution for unemployment in TamilNadu and development of industries. Its
volunteers went to each and every village starting from Kanyakumari and
Coimbatore meeting lakhs of people covering 2500 kilometres. In the same year
when the Jayalalitha govt. increased Bus fares, DYFI organized massive
demonstrations across TamilNadu. Thousands of cadres went to jail. They
celebrated Deepavali only in jails. Jayalalitha Govt. reduced the fares bowing
to the struggle. More than 60000 volunteers went to jail in 1994 for burning
the copies of Govt. notification seeking ban on Job recruitment. It was a
political movement with social cause. DYFI also took up the cause of
environment by planting 4000 trees in Chennai as a measure of protecting the
earth from hole in ozone layer. It has never been the practice of DYFI to stop
with just preaching.
Apart from conducting various Eye
Donation Awareness programs, 1200 DYFI volunteers filled up forms for donating
their eyes in 1994 and handed over them to Govt. officials at a function held
in Teacher Training Institute, Saidapet, Chennai.
In the same year when there was flood in Vaigai river in Madurai, slush went inside all homes in Meenakshipuram and the people had to leave their homes and stand outside little knowing what to do. It was DYFI volunteers who tirelessly worked for 15 days and removed all the slush and cleaned the homes and ensured the people to be back in their homes. The men in Khaki cannot be knowing these facts.
In the same year when there was flood in Vaigai river in Madurai, slush went inside all homes in Meenakshipuram and the people had to leave their homes and stand outside little knowing what to do. It was DYFI volunteers who tirelessly worked for 15 days and removed all the slush and cleaned the homes and ensured the people to be back in their homes. The men in Khaki cannot be knowing these facts.
The DYFI waged relentless
struggle against illicit liquor in Cuddalore. Two DYFI volunteers Kumar and
Anandan were murdered by anti socials. The incident happened just a kilometer
away from the SP Office. It was Shailendra Babu who was SP then. It is everybody’s
secret who the police department under the SP favoured.
When DYFI and SFI jointly
launched struggle for taking over of Ramachandra Medical College Hospital, they
face repression from the police. The comrades were jailed. But, the govt.
acceded to the demand and took over the Hospital. It is a different story that
it was handed over to Udayar.
In the struggle for people’s
unity, DYFI cadres have faced the wrath of anti socials throughout Tamilnadu.
In this uncompromising struggle, Virudhunagar Chandru, Vyasarpadi Raju ,
Mandapam Muthu, Nellai V.K.Puram Kumar, Kumari, Sudhakar, Arumanai have lost
their dear lives. It is not for their personal benefits but for people’s cause
that they fought for and laid down their lives.
DYFI also celebrates Pongal Vizha
in Tamilnadu. During the period it conducts competition among students, youth
and the people living in huts. It also conducts various entertainment programs
for the people. When Tsunami struck, DYFI cadres were in the front
rehabilitating the people. In the Chennai coast, from Cuddalore to
Nagappattinam and to Kanyakumari hundreds of people marooned. DYFI members
swung in to action and brought out so many bodies.
When the people of Chennai were
reeling under devastating floods in December 2015, DYFI entered in a massive
way in relief measures like rehabilitation and giving medical aid and food
packets to the people in various localities of Chennai. Even when their homes
were devastated, DYFI volunteers made huge sacrifices to help out people
affected by the floods. Even where the Police and other Govt. departments were
hesitant to enter, DYFI cadres, without minding risk to their lives saved lives
of so many people.
Are our students and youth who
are part and parcel of the cultural, social and political spheres and who stand
by the people when they face problems anti socials and anti nationals? The
saffron brigade wants to stamp all people’s movements as anti national.
- A.Bakkiam
Former State President Democratic Youth Federation of India
CPI(M) South Chennai District Secretary