KOZHIKODE: The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), widely seen as the political front of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), plans to float a youth arm and has initiated the process by asking all its state units to submit proposals in this regard. The idea of a youth wing was on the anvil for some time now, but was shelved after the PDF ban in 2022, as it could be misinterpreted as the regrouping of the PFI or the Campus Front of India, an SDPI leader said.
“The idea to launch organisations for students and the youth was on the agenda of the party long ago, but it didn’t materialise due to various reasons. We had even appointed a sub-committee for the purpose in 2021. We deliberately delayed the idea after the Union government banned PDF, ” he said.
The SDPI national working committee that met in Kochi in May 2023 deliberated on the matter, the leader said. The Women’s India Movement (WIM) is the official feeder organisation under the SDPI while the Social Democratic Trade Union (SDTU) is the organisation formed by its supporters in the trade union sector. After the launch of the youth organisation, the party will also consider floating an outfit for students. SDPI has elected members in the local bodies in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and West Bengal.
The party had fielded 16 candidates in the recently concluded elections to the Karnataka Assembly. In Kerala too, the party had contested elections from local bodies to the Lok Sabha. There were rumours that the SDPI also will be banned after the crackdown on the PFI. A good majority of the workers of the SDPI were the activists of the PFI too. But legal issues of banning a political party that is registered with the Election Commission of India prevented the authorities from moving against the party.