People's Democracy

AFTER the formation of Chhattisgarh state, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) recently held its first state conference in Ravi Shankar Shukla Bhawan in Raipur, the state capital, under the slogan "Development for Eradication of Backwardness; Employment for Development." Among the prominent leaders attending the conference were former DYFI president Mohd Salim, DYFI secretary Tapas Sinha and SFI president Krishnaprasad.

After the flag hoisting and floral tributes at the martyrs column, a three-member presidium was elected to conduct the proceedings. The inaugural session started with a song by Indrani Mitra. Inaugurating the conference, Mohd Salim accused the BJP-led NDA government of hypocrisy. The NDA coalition came to power by promising employment for one crore unemployed every year, but is now retrenching 10 per cent employees every year. The youth face a dark future due to the complete ban on recruitment for the next two years. Factories are closing down and their workers are joining the ranks of the unemployed. The job security of public sector workers is threatened by the privatisation of these units. This is also an attack on our self-reliance.

Referring to the government’s ruimous policies, their impact, growing suicides and starvation deaths, and the growing resistance against these policies, Salim charged the central government with mortgaging the country with imperialist powers and with using communalism to torpedo the people’s resistance. The BJP is seeking to play the Ayodhya card once again, with an eye on the UP polls.

Salim reminded the delegates of the long tradition of struggles --- fight against terrorism and secessionism in Punjab, Assam and Kashmir, and now against the communal offensive of saffron brigade in the country. It is by agitating on the basic issues of the youth that the DYFI has got a membership of 1,12,00,000, thus becoming one of the biggest youth organisations in the world. He said a militant youth movement should be developed to fight against illiteracy, unemployment, backwardness and for the state’s development.

Krishnaprasad greeted the conference on behalf of the SFI, warning the delegates of the RSS-BJP attempt to make India the Hindu version of the Taliban’s narrow, theocratic Afghanistan.

The report presented by Sukhranajan Nandy before the conference contained an analysis of the political, social and economic conditions in the state and the state DYFI’s future plan. Though Chhattisgarh is among the backward states of the country, it is rich in mineral and forest resources. But neither the previous MP governments nor the present Congress government had any concrete plan to utilise these resources for the people’s betterment. Every year lakhs of people migrate to other states for employment.

Dealing with education, the report pointed out that out of a population of 2,07,90,900, some 35 per cent people are illiterate, officially. Literacy among males is 77.86 per cent and among females only 52.40 per cent. There are 1,969 colleges affiliated to 4 universities, and the number is grossly inadequate. Some colleges lack their own buildings; there is shortage of lecturers, books, etc. There are 1,71,155 students in 1,271 higher secondary schools, 3,67,847 in 1,220 secondary schools, and 10,52,276 in 5,406 primary schools.

The situation of unemployment is terrible. The unemployed registered in 18 employment offices number 6,25,000. This is not a correct estimate as many are not even enrolled. Only 660 people were employed through the employment offices. The Ajit Jogi government has now changed the work of these employment offices. Instead of providing employment, they will now only "educate" the unemployed about the government’s policies. Forests cover about 45 per cent of the area of the state and forest-based industries can well be developed, but the government is indifferent. It is out to withdraw itself from self-employment generation and other plans. Recruitment is banned in all government departments. Hundreds of private industries are lying closed and the government shows no interest or will to revive them.

Adivasis constitute 32.4 and scheduled castes 12.20 per cent of the state’s population. The report stressed that in order to improve their economic and social condition, the organisation will have to work among them on issues of basic necessities and demands.

17 delegates participated in the discussion, underlined the problems plaguing the newborn state and resolved to intensify the struggles on these issues. The report was passed unanimously after a reply to the discussion.

The conference unanimously elected a 25-member coordination committee to run the organisation, with Sukhranjan Nandy as convenor.

Shakti Roychoudhary, member of the DYFI’s central secretariat, also addressed the conference, saying that there is no other organisation to agitate for the problems of the youth and work positively for society.

In his concluding address, Tapas Sinha stressed the need to expand and broadbase the organisation. Recounting the history of two decades of struggles and achievements, he asked the delegates to build a strong organisation and launch militant struggles.

The future tasks decided at the conference include enrolling 15,000 members in 2001, signature campaign on a 15-point demands charter and a demonstration at the chief minister’s residence in November.