Pune: Solidarity Protest Supporting Spanish Student’s Strike

26 October 2016 Maharashtra
Solidarity Protest

A solidarity protest organized by New Socialist Alternative (Indian Section of Committee for a Workers’ International) at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Pune on 25th October in support of the Spanish Student’s Strike. 

A protest rally was organized at SPPU in solidarity with Spanish Students’ Strike. First we distributed leaflets and appealed students to join the protest. In response around 50 students gathered. We began the rally by first singing the song “Shikshanachi zaliya daina, itha sarakari shala disana” (Education system is in shambles and now public schools are no more seen, being replaced by private ones).

A comrade explained the background of strike in Spain and the resolute, inspiring struggle built by Spanish students to defeat such policies. Then all shouted slogans condemning the privatization of education, cuts in education and demanding free and universal education systems. We tried to give it a bit of Spanish flavor by including a slogan “Students’ Unity – VIVA VIVA”. Later more comrades came in and addressed the students connecting these worldwide protests with ongoing struggles by Indian students against similar though much more savage neoliberal policies. We also brought forward the issue of unemployment among youths. In response to our appeal other left, Dalit organizations in the city too joined the rally and their comrades addressed the gathering. These organizations included Phule-Shahu-Amebdkar Vidyarthi Kruti Samiti, All India Students’ Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI). All through the program, we continued to shout slogans and sing various songs supporting struggles in India as well around the world.

New Socialist Alternative – Pune

 

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West Bengal

Bangalore Protest Against State Terror on Students of Jadavpur University

22 September 2014 West Bengal


Created with flickr slideshow.

 

The Bengali community (especially students and young people) in Bangalore rose up in solidarity against the recent state violence on students of Jadavpur University. On the 17th of this month, male students were beaten up and girls students molested in a barbaric dead-of-the-night police assault on the students carrying out a peaceful sit-in demonstration. The students were particpating in a non-violent protest demanding an impartial probe into an incident of sexual harrassment of a student at the University earlier last month. An eye-witness account of what happened in Kolkata including the role of goons from Trinamool Congress (TMC) can be found on our website here 

The protest was organized by a group of Bengali students, including ex-Jadavpur university students working in the city. The protest drew a good response from the Bengali community, students and young working professionals in the city participating in the protest. Ho Ho Hokolorobo was the mostly widely heard slogan as the 400-strong crowd raised slogans in both Bengali and Kannada denouncing the brutal police apparatus, the equally and completely complicit state government as well as both the major political parties in West Bengal – CPI(M) and TMC. The protesters demanded the resignation of the VC of Jadavpur University as well as impartial probes into the sexual harrassment incident and the police brutality on 17th of September. The young crowd raised powerful slogans and sang songs of solidarity and protest. Few of the ex-students from Jadhavpur university delivered speeches and gave detailed updates on the events happening in Kolkata. The protest lasted for over three hours with the same infectious enthusiasm and energy.

Members of the New Socialist Alternative (CWI-India) actively participated in the protest and helped the organisers of the event. We also sold over 50 copies of the New Socialist Alternative’s newspaper with a large number of people in the crowd purchasing the newspapers at the solidarity price. New Socialist Alternative stands in solidarity with the students of Jadavpur University and totally condemns the actions of the state police and the goons of Trinamool Congress.

Vinay Chandra

Bangalore

 

AP Encounter Deaths
Andhra Pradesh

Protest Against Murder of Tamils & Muslims in Andhra Pradesh & Telangana

13 April 2015 Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu

Condemn State Terror

Over 50 people in Bangalore attended the protest on 12th April against the recent encounter killing in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. New Socialist Alternative (CWI-India) also participated in the protest.

The twin encounter killings that has claimed the lives of 25 last week has brought to light once again the gory face of the Indian state.

Neatly arranged bodies next to already cut old wooden logs, most of them shot in their head or chest, some with burn marks in the middle of a less dense forest area, this is the scene of crime where the men who were killed attacked the police armed with guns with deadly stones which forced the police to resort to shooting. This we are asked to believe. The state is keen to brand these 20 Killed smugglers.

The real smugglers are out there in the power corridors of the state making money safely. These are workers who are forced by their socio-economic conditions to work in harsh conditions to make their daily bread. Its 7 years jail for a 7000 Crore scam and death for being poor workers. This is the neo-liberal dharma of Indian state.

The other encounters which has happened in Hyderabad where 5 convicts were killed in transit. The police claims that one of them tried to snatch the weaponry and the 17 police personnel who were escorting them fired at them as a last resort. Innocent Muslim youth throughout India have been victims of such false encounters to create a false specter of terrorism. Irrespective of who rules, the Indian state has always resorted to scare mongering, victimizing the Muslim community in India.

From 2009 – 2013 alone 555 cases of fake encounter killing has been registered in India. The top ten states among them are from the tribal belt which is termed as Naxal-hit, the biggest internal security threat to the sovereignty of India. We condemn the false propaganda and encounter killings by the Indian state.

  • To put an end to the encounter killings and a more transparent and democratic police machinery.
  • Immediate suspension of the officers involved in the encounter killings
  • An independent judiciary commission to probe the killing and punish those responsible.
  • A suitable monetary compensation and making way for a sustainable livelihood for the families that has lost their sole bread winners

Jagadish G Chandra

New Socialist Alternative (CWI-India)

 

 

Antwerp JNU
News

Belgium: In Solidarity With JNU

7 March 2016 News
A demonstration was organized in Antwerp on 4th March in solidarity with the protesting students of JNU and the jailed student activist leaders in India. People from multiple ethnicities and backgrounds, from Indians, Pakistanis, Kashmiris, Sri Lankans to Belgians, demonstrated against repression of students and their democratic voices by the right-wing BJP-led government in India. The comrades participated in the protest in spite of heavy rains in Belgium. The protest was supported by LSP, Tamil Solidarity, and progressive Kashmiris.
 

The repression of students in JNU by the communal forces of the BJP-RSS is a continuation of the BJP-RSS attack on secular, progressive and democratic elements in the country. The jailing of JNU students was preceded just weeks earlier by the murder by suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemula by the HCU administration at the behest of the HRD ministry. The past 20 months of the BJP government has seen protests from people all over India – farmers (against land ordinance bill and continuing agrarian crisis), workers (against neoliberal policies), students (against cuts in education and crushing of dissent), and secular forces (against communal attacks).

 

On the pretext of a 10-member meeting organized by students on the judicial killing of Kashmiri Afzal Guru in 2013, and the basis of what later turned out to be a doctored video, the government unleashed police forces on JNU to arrest students Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khaled and others, terming them as anti-nationals. Right-wing goons beat Kanhaiya Kumar in court premises while the police was watching, in front of national media. The incident has  backfired for the ruling establishment with a huge oupouring of support for students in across India and abroad.

 
The protesters demanded for:
 
  • No to the persecution of the students of JNU in general, student leaders Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and others in particular! No to the rise of right-wing hate crimes against India’s oppressed castes! No to violence against Indians who are not Hindu! No to the attacks on democratic rights in India!
  • For the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people and all oppressed nationalities!
  • For unity of workers and oppressed, women and men, irrespective of origin and religious background. Together we are stronger against all forms of oppression!

Vinay Chandra

 

For more photos, please check this link