SFI Holds 13th Conference in Lambathach; Elects New Committee and Discusses Key Issues.
Shimla:
The 13th conference of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) Lambathach unit in Seraj assembly constituency of Mandi district was successfully held on Friday in Lambathach. During the conference, a 21-member committee was elected. Comrade Arun was chosen as the President of the Lambathach unit, while Comrade Om Prakash was elected as the Secretary. An 8-member Secretariat was also elected, with Comrades Om Prakash, Arun, Manish, Chetan, Hemanshu, Nisha, Nisha Kalyan, and Yaman being appointed as committee members.
The conference was inaugurated by Anil Thakur, the State President of SFI Himachal Pradesh.
Addressing the gathering, Thakur emphasized the growing challenges faced by the democratic education system in the country and the state. He criticized the current government’s policies, particularly focusing on the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which he said was imposed without proper parliamentary discussion.
Thakur pointed out the negative impact of the policy, including the closure of schools and colleges with fewer than 3,000 students, leading to the denial of education to many students. He also highlighted that approximately 13 crore children in the country remain deprived of their fundamental right to education.
Thakur further criticized the growing corruption in the education system, especially at Himachal Pradesh University, which he described as a hub for fraudulent activities. He mentioned the recruitment of over 200 fake professors during the tenure of former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, which has led to a decline in the university’s academic standards. He declared that the SFI conference would prepare a framework for future movements aimed at improving the state of education.
During the conference, several key proposals were discussed and unanimously approved, including demands to revoke the National Education Policy 2020, establish gender-sensitive committees, restore student union elections, address rising violence against women, tackle increasing unemployment, and combat the growing communalism and hatred in the country and state. Additionally, the conference highlighted the escalating youth drug abuse problem.
In her speech, SFI Mandi District Vice President, Comrade Nishu, addressed the alarming issue of unemployment in Himachal Pradesh. She pointed out that the state has now become the second-largest unemployed state in the country, with education rankings having dropped to 21st place. Nishu criticized the Congress-led state government for turning education into a commodity and for failing to provide employment opportunities. She also mentioned that the state continues to drown in debt, leading to the privatization of government institutions, and called for a strong movement to address the issues faced by the state’s 9 lakh unemployed youth.
The conference also made a resolution to bring attention to student demands, such as the filling of vacant faculty positions in colleges, the completion of the science block construction, and the provision of heaters in examination halls. It was decided that the SFI would organize a strong protest movement to highlight these issues.
The conference concluded with a commitment to continue fighting for the rights of students and to bring about positive change in the education system and employment opportunities for youth.
