SFI, AISA to contest DUSU polls together for the first time
NEW DELHI: The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Association (AISA) on Monday announced that they will contest this year’s Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections together.
This is the first time in the history of DUSU politics that the two left-wing student bodies are joining hands to fight elections. The SFI and AISA leaders held a joint press conference to announce that they will have a joint panel this year in the polls scheduled for September 27.
“In the last 10 years, ABVP’s dominance has been enabled by the national level consolidation of power in the hands of the BJP-RSS. ABVP reign has been of an ineffective and anti-student DUSU, which acts as an agent of the administration and the Sangh. Every move to dismantle public education and destroy DU, from the introduction of ENP to relentless fee hikes has been met with shameless support by the ABVP,” said Prasanjeet, AISA National General Secretary.
“Through events and open violence, they fuel communalism, caste division and feudalism on campus and suppress dissent against these measures,” he added.
Meanwhile, SFI Secretary Aishe Ghosh said, “It is very clear that the leaders of ABVP come just to brighten up their political careers. They don’t have anything to do with the students. We have come together to challenge the money-muscle politics. I believe student politics do not run in cars alone. We want to prove that the alternative model of politics can be established in the DU as well.”
She further added, “DUSU should not just represent the aspirations and issues of every student of DU but must go forward to become an example for what a progressive students movement can accomplish. AISA will be contesting for the posts of president and vice-president, and SFI for secretary and joint secretary. While our detailed manifesto will be released in the coming days, our core demands are to instate elected ICC (Internal Complaints Committee) and gender sensitisation cells in all colleges, end mandatory attendance and debarment policy, end fee hikes, construct new hostels, implement Rent Control Act and ensure concessional metro pass.”