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{{Infobox organization
|name = Students Federation of India
|bgcolor =
|fgcolor =
|image = SFI-flag.svg
|image_border =
|size =
|alt =
|caption = Flag of the Students Federation of India
|map =
|msize =
|malt =
|mcaption =
|abbreviation = SFI
|motto = Study And Struggle
|formation = 1970
|General Secretary = Ritabrata Banerjee
|President = V.Sivadassan
|type = students organisation
|status =
|purpose =
|headquarters =
|location =
|region_served =
|membership =40 Lakhs as of 2012
|language =
|leader_title = General Secretary
|leader_name =
|main_organ =
|affiliations =
|num_staff =
|num_volunteers =
|budget =
|website =
|remarks =
}}

'''Students Federation of India''' ('''SFI''') is one of the major [[List of Indian student organizations|student organisations in India]]. Founded in 1970. As of 2012, it claims a membership strength of nearly 40 lakhs school and university students.<ref>{{
cite news
|title=Unite & Fight For Social Justice, Self-Reliance & Rights
|publisher=[http://pd.cpim.org People's Democracy]
|date=2005-12-04
|accessdate=2006-07-30
|url=http://pd.cpim.org/2005/1204/12042005_ragesh.htm
}}</ref> SFI is currently led at the All India level by Ritabrata Banerjee, General Secretary and V.Sivadassan, President.
== History ==
Students’ federation of India was formed through its First Conference which was held at Thiruvananthapuram between December 27to 30th in the year 1970.

In the latter half of 1970 student leaders from various states assembled together at Calcutta and decided to form a new student organization which is committed to bring together the students of our country and lead them on issues such as radical education reforms, employment, safeguarding and expansion of democratic rights and give the students movement of our country a new and correct direction leads to the formation of Students Federation of India.

The Students Federation of India has grown into one of the biggest student organization in the country. The Students Federation of India leads the University Unions in all the Universities in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. The very fact that the Students Federation of India commands majority in almost all the colleges/schools/polytechnics/Industrial Training Institute/Professional institutions including the Engineering and Medical Colleges in these states.

All this years SFI in its march forward under the banner of Independence, Democracy, socialism had to deal with and counter various wrong tendencies with in the student movement. These 40 years have been very difficult years.

In the last forty year right from Comrade Devapalan to Comrade. Aneesh Rajan, around 31 Cadres have become martyrs to the cruel and barbaric deeds of the fundamentalist and right wing forces operating in the state. Several of its members were tortured, Jailed and academically victimized. SFI was able to with stand the stiff resistance offered by all sections offered by who want to divide the student community on the basis of religion and caste and to commercially education. A section of the media nursing the capitalist and feudal ideologies with the active assistance of the pseudo intelligentsia who put forward the age old reactionary slogan that students should not take part in politics have made many an attempt to destroy the organization by spreading false and untrue campaign whereby trying to show the organization in poor light. However, the organization has outlived such malicious motives, thanks of the unflinching commitment by the rank and file of the organization and the continuous support of the student community. SFI becomes the prime target of all reactionary forces because the enemies of the people recognize that from within the student community it represents the main danger challenging their authority.

During the period of emergency, when the democratic set up was facing its greatest peril, SFI organized many protests and student agitations to uphold the principles of democracy. Many of its cadres were jailed arbitrarily and because victims of organized torture. Comrade Mohammed Mustafa died as a result of the torture inflicted by the police.

It is after the emergency period that the state organization witnessed a tremendous growth. The efforts of the organization in upholding the principles of justice and democracy were recognized and appreciated by the entire society including the student community. On the basis of martyrdom and glorious sacrifices of its members SFI today become the leading force in uniting the students on common issue.

It is only the consistent efforts of the organization in upholding and catering to the needs of the students, the organization could grow into as where it stands today. No other organization has waged its struggle as the Students Federation of India against ragging and exploitation of students, attempts to communally polarize the student community etc. The Students Federation of India throughout the years has effectively warded off all diabolic attempts to commercialize education, which is detrimental to the interests of the student community.

== Philosophy ==
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) is a [[Marxist]] organization. It is the student wing of the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]]. The slogan of the SFI is “Independence, Democracy, and Socialism!”<br>

The SFI believes that education is a major tool of social transformation and that this concept is especially relevant in a country like India, where regressive forces still prevail. Proper education, they believe, will counteract such forces and will help to build a new society based on rationality and justice. The SFI is an organization of students which is ever aware of its role in society. It identifies with a society's progressive forces and is totally committed to the idea of independence, democracy, and socialism.

== Aims and Objectives ==
The following has been stated as the objective of the SFI in its Political program<ref>http://keralasfi.org/programme</ref><ref>http://keralasfi.org/constitution</ref>

1. The Students’ Federation of India takes upon itself the task of organizing the students in schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions of the country and also Indian students studying abroad under its banner to build a powerful and well-knit student movement for the upliftment and betterment of the student community

2. The Students’ Federation of India fights for the realisation of its aim to establish a democratic, scientific, secular and progressive educational system ensuring education and job for all that calls for the implementation of comprehensive land reforms, elimination of the stranglehold of international finance capital and indigenous monopoly capitalism. The Students’ Federation of India aims to accomplish this by organizing the student community in the struggles of the wider democratic movement of the workers, peasants, and other progressive forces

3. The Students’ Federation of India as a forward-looking and progressive student organization shall inscribe on its banner, “Independence, Democracy and Socialism”. It is with this perspective that Students’ Federation of India is committed to strive for a society free from all exploitation. It shall fight all such alien trends and tendencies that are disruptive of our struggle for the emancipation of our people and country

4. The Students’ Federation of India will continuously work to ensure all necessary facilities for complete and meaningful education – hostel, library and laboratory, sports and games, athletics and physical training, culture and entertainment, and other educative and social activities – that will be adequate and within the reach of all students. The Students’ Federation of India will continuously fight for the attainment of all just and democratic rights of students. It will fight and work for the right of students to democratic and independent expression and conduct, to form unions and associations, to assemble, to participate in the management of educational institutions and in all activities connected with the academic and other aspects of student life. The Students’ Federation of India will strive to develop the Students’ urge for more and more knowledge and to inculcate among students the practice of self-education and self-discipline. The Students’ Federation of India will further strive to develop close-knit relations between teachers, non-teaching staff, guardians, students and the rest of the academic community, and foster mutual respect and regard between them. The Students’ Federation of India will untiringly resist any attempt to drive a wedge between the students and the rest of the academic community. It will also oppose all attempts to alienate the student community from other democratic and toiling sections of our people.

5. The Students’ Federation of India, while stressing the duty and necessity of the student community for diligent and industrious study of the humanities and the sciences to equip themselves with adequate knowledge and enlightenment, simultaneously seeks to encourage and promote their thirst for political and social knowledge and consciousness. The students should thus be adequately prepared, on leaving school or college, to play their rightful role as conscious citizens of this fast changing society of our times.

6. The Students’ Federation of India pledges to fight for equality of all, irrespective of religion, caste, gender, language, and race and as part of this struggle, commits to fight for the empowerment of the disadvantaged classes, castes, tribes and communities, the women, and other marginalized sections of the society and for the protection of the rights of the linguistic, ethnic, racial, religious and other minorities. The Students’ Federation of India upholds the constitutionally guaranteed rights for minorities to run and manage educational institutions in the country. However it should be ensured that these institutions are not run with a commercial motive to earn profits and misutilised for spreading irrational and fundamentalist ideology.

7. The Students’ Federation of India stands firmly in defense of secularism, the complete separation of state and polity from religion. The Students’ Federation of India declares its uncompromising opposition to all forms of religious fundamentalism, bigotry and communalism, and pledges to fight against all forms of communal violence, terror, and in particular communal fascism. The communal forces divide the student community thus weakening their struggles for educational and employment rights. The Students’ Federation of India unflinchingly confronts all attempts to destroy the unity of the students and the people at large on religious and communal lines and with unfailing sincerity addresses itself to the task of promoting communal harmony and patriotic unity of the people against the anti-national forces of communalism.

8. Students Federation of India is strongly opposed to all forms of gender discrimination and oppression in every sphere of life. The prevalence of age-old evil traditions like sati and dowry portray the deplorable condition of women in our country. It commits to fight all patriarchal values and practices which draw their basis both from the remnants of feudal relations, outmoded ways of thought, and from the commodification of women under capitalism. SFI shall fight for the emancipation of women and demands equality of access to education for girls. SFI stands and strives for a progressive and gender sensitive ethos and curriculum.

9. The Students’ Federation of India is vehemently opposed to all forms of caste discrimination and oppression. SFI strives to eradicate the inhuman practice of untouchability, all forms of social oppression and fights for the abolition of caste system. It supports reservations for the dalits, the adivasis and other backward castes and communities in the area of education and employment, and demands its extension to the private sector too. The Students’ Federation of India is of the considered opinion that other forms of deprivation like economic, regional, and gender-wise backwardness should also be taken into account in providing reservations. It also raises its voice for the fulfillment of the existing stipulation of reservations and new provisions wherever required for all other disadvantaged categories (physically challenged, etc.).

10. The Students’ Federation of India staunchly opposes all kinds of narrow, separatist parochialism and chauvinism, be it on linguistic, provincial, regional, or ethnic lines. The Students’ Federation of India strives for a democratic realignment of power between the Union and the state governments with emphasis on decentralization of power to strengthen the federal character of the nation in order to safeguard national unity and to ensure balanced development. The Students’ Federation of India fully supports the developmental aspirations, both material and cultural, of the various nationalities in the Indian Union within the territorial integrity of the country and extends full cooperation to their legitimate and democratic struggles against the oppressive and authoritarian policies of the State.

11. The socially unplanned and uncontrolled capitalist path of development with the sole objective of reckless profiteering has precipitated dangerous environmental degradation. The Students’ Federation of India is committed to environment-friendly development and will strive along with progressive peoples’ movements for protection and sustenance of environment.

12. The cultural diversity of our country is facing multi-pronged attacks. On one hand the onslaught of market-oriented consumerist values is deforming our cultural foundations while on the other hand aggressive communalism is seeking to impose a Manuvadi cultural hierarchy in the name of ‘cultural nationalism’. The Students’ Federation of India firmly resists all attempts to mutilate the mosaic of our varied and pluralistic culture while firmly rejecting the influence of the colonial-feudal culture. It stands committed to steadfastly promote development of people’s culture based on modern, scientific progressive and humanitarian values.

13. The Students’ Federation of India works towards protecting identity, languages and culture of indigenous, tribal communities while fighting against their exploitation and dispossession for their overall development and helping them to integrate with the mainstream social life. At the same time, the Students’ Federation of India struggles for the development of education, welfare and integrity of tribes by defending their rights. The rights of the tribal people should be protected according to the Schedules V and VI of the Constitution of India, especially at a time of intensifying attack of imperialist globalisation.

14. The Students’ Federation of India is committed to strengthen the mass democratic movement in our country in order to advance the struggle for socio-economic emancipation of the people. The Students’ Federation of India, along with other progressive forces, stands committed to fight against the stranglehold of feudal and casteist values and rituals that severely impair the advancement of democratic consciousness among the masses. A radical social reform movement together with the fight against feudal land relations along with other democratic and progressive forces is an important part of Students’ Federation of India’s agenda to develop democratic consciousness among the vast toiling sections.

15. The Students’ Federation of India as an organization and movement inspired by anti-imperialist, democratic, and socialist ideas, is pledged to combat the onslaught of imperialist globalization and domination in all areas of student and public life. The Students’ Federation of India simultaneously is pledged to protect the unity and integrity of our country from the onslaught of communal and separatist forces. It extends its solidarity to all the progressive forces of the world fighting for freedom, independence, territorial integrity, democracy, and socialism against imperialist aggression. The Students’ Federation of India is committed to work in close coordination with all the progressive, democratic, and socialist forces around the world and earnestly work for building a powerful international Student movement in defense of world peace, independence, democracy and socialism against imperialism.

16. The Students’ Federation of India seeks to establish warm and friendly relations with all other organizations and associations of students, youth and the academic community, which are pledged to work for independence, secularism, democracy, peace, and socialism. It is prepared to unite with all those who are willing to join hands with it on specific issues and demands, and jointly act with them for the redress of the Students’ grievances.

17. The Students’ Federation of India places this programme before the student community and calls upon the students, youth, women, middle classes, peasants, workers and all other forces interested in the democratic advancement of our country to unite for the fulfillment of these tasks and join hands to build a prosperous life for all our people.

== Areas of influence ==
Though SFI is active throughout India, it is most prominent in those three states that have enjoyed communist governments historically. These are the states of [[West Bengal]], [[Kerala]] and [[Tripura]]. The SFI has a strong base in the universities all over Kerala and West Bengal. It has a few other strongholds which include [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]] in [[Delhi]], [[Himachal Pradesh University]] in [[Shimla]], [[University of Hyderabad]], [[Osmania University]], and [[University of Rajasthan]].

The SFI includes students from all the academic institutions of India - from schools to colleges, from professional institutions to research academies. In [[Tripura]] there is a special sub-organisation for [[adivasi|tribal]] students, named the Tribal Students Union.
{{Indcom}}
== Publications ==
The official organ ''Student Struggle'' is published monthly in English and "Chatra Sangharsh" in Hindi. Editor of "student struggle" is Shatarup Ghosh; while "Chhatra sangharsh"'s Editor is Vikram Singh and it's associate Ediitor is Sunand.Apart from, many State Committees of SFI publish magazines in the corresponding regional languages. [[Chhatra Sangram]] is the [[Bengali language|Bengali]] organ published by the West Bengal State Committee. Its circulation is nearly 30 thousands. Sougata Panda is the editor of the organ. Since 1964 it is publishing. It played a great role to develop the left student movement in West Bengal.''Student'' is the [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]] organ published by the [[Kerala]] State Committee. ''Resistance'' is the E-Journal of SFI Kerala Unit. ''Researcher'' is the journal of rsearch scholars published by the Kerala State Committee. ''ఐక్య విధ్యార్థి'' is published in [[Telugu language|Telugu]] by the [[Andhra Pradesh]] State Committee of SFI. Pudhiya Paadhai is published in Tamil Nadu.


== List of SFI Cadres killed ==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%"
|-
! Cadre
! Place (Killed)
! Date
! Reason
|-
| Devapaalan
| [[Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Kerala]]
| 08-10-1971
| Bus ran into the rally
|-
| Asharaf
| [[Thalassery]], Kerala
| 05-03-1974
| Stabbed
|-
| Saithali
| [[Pattambi]], Kerala
| 19-09-1974
| Beaten with iron bar and stabbed
|-
| Mohammed Musthafa
| [[Mannarkkad]], Kerala
| 16-08-1976
| succumbed to the police torture
|-
| Velayudhan
| [[Koduvayur]], Kerala
| 19-12-1976
| stabbed
|-


| Ranjan Goswami
| [[Belgharia]], [[West Bengal]]
| 19-06-1977
|
|-

| G.Bhuvanaeswaran
| [[Pandalam]], Kerala
| 12-12-1977
|
|-
| P.K.Rajan
| [[Thrippunithura]], Kerala
| 24-02-1979
| stabbed
|-

| Lal Bahadur Rai
| [[Samastipur]], [[Bihar]]
| 21-01-1981
| Succumbed to injuries he suffered on 14th Jan after police had beaten him in jail to break the hunger strike
|-


| Pradeep Kumar
| [[Kozhikode]], [[Kerala]]
| 13-07-1981
| Bus ran into the rally
|-
| C.V.Jose
| [[Pathanamthitta]], Kerala
| 17-12-1982
| stabbed
|-
| E.K.Balan
| Keralavarma, Kerala
| 05-01-1984
| stabbed
|-
| M.S.Prasad
| [[Pathanamthitta]], Kerala
| 07-09-1984
| main witness in C.V. Jose the murder, stabbed
|-
| Koroth Chandran
| [[Kozhikode]] , Kerala
| 29-11-1985
| Alleged Beating by RSS cadet
|-
| Sabu
| [[Mannarkkad]], Kerala
| 24-01-1988
| injuries inflicted from the glass pieces
|-
| Anil
| Pathanamthitta, Kerala
| 08-12-1988
| murdered
|-
| Kochaniyan
| [[Kuttanellur]], Kerala
| 29-02-1992
| murdered
|-
| Sajeevan
| Kozhikode , Kerala
| 29-02-1992
| stabbed
|-
| Joby Andrews
| Kozhikode , Kerala
| 15-07-1992
| stoned down
|-
| Ajeesh
| [[Kottayam]] , Kerala
| 09-08-1992
| beaten
|-
| K.C.Rajesh
| [[Kannur]] , Kerala
| 17-12-1993
| Ran over by bus
|-
| K.V.Sudheesh
| Kannur , Kerala
| 26-01-1994
| Alleged murder by [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] Cadre
|-
| P.K.Rameshan
| [[Madappally]] , Kerala
| 29-09-1994
| beaten
|-
| K.V.Roshan
| [[Kuthuparamba]], [[Kerala]]
| 25-11-1994
| police firing
|-
| K.K.Rajeevan
| Kuthuparamba, Kerala
| 25-11-1994
| police firing
|-
| Madhu
| Kuthuparamba, Kerala
| 25-11-1994
| police firing
|-
| Shibulal
| Kuthuparamba, Kerala
| 25-11-1994
| police firing
|-
| Babu
| Kuthuparamba, Kerala
| 25-11-1994
| police firing
|-
| M.A.Sakkeer
| Thiruvananthapuram , Kuthuparamba, Kerala
| 16-01-1995
| slashed to death by [[Peoples Democratic Party (India)|PDP]] activists
|-
| Ajay
| [[Chempazhanthy]] , Kerala
| 03-08-1997
| murdered
|-
| Rajesh M.
| Panthalam, Kerala
| 31-10-2001
| murdered
|-


| Sunita Mondal <ref>http://creative.sulekha.com/what-happened-in-nandigram-an-outline_219396_blog</ref>
| [[Nandigram]], [[West Bengal]]
| 10-02-2007
| raped & hanged to a tree
|-


| Ajay Prasad
| [[Karunagapally]], Kerala
| 20-07-2007
| beaten to death
|-


|-
| Soumik Biswas
| [[Shibpur]], [[West Bengal]] <ref>http://www.becollege.org/news/news_item.asp?newsid=365</ref>
| 12-08-2007
| clash with rival students union in Bengal Engineering College
|-

|-
| Sheikh Babua
| [[Bagnan]], [[West Bengal]] <ref>cpim.org/photo/bengal-violence.pdf</ref>
| 08-05-2009
| bomb was hurled by [[Trinamool Congress]] workers
|-


|-
| Bibek Burman <ref>http://westbengalnews.blogspot.in/2009/05/maoists-trinamulis-kill-three-cpi-m.html</ref>
| [[Mathabhanga]], [[West Bengal]]
| 21-05-2009
| abducted & then speared to death
|-

|-
| Apurba Ghosh <ref>http://pd.cpim.org/2009/0607_pd/06072009_11.html</ref>
| [[Krishnanagar, Nadia|Krishnanagar]], [[West Bengal]]
| 28-05-2009
| abducted, hands tied, throttled & then stabbed through his ears
|-


|-
| Sayantika Rakshit <ref>http://pd.cpim.org/2009/0607_pd/06072009_11.html</ref>
| [[Tamluk]], [[West Bengal]]
| 02-06-2009
| shot on the head
|-

|-
| Abhijit Mahato
| [[Lalgarh (Midnapore)|Lalgarh]], [[West Bengal]] <ref>http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/25/stories/2009062559411000.htm</ref>
| 13-07-2009
| gunned down by [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)]] [[guerrilla]]s
|-


|-
| Avijit Mondal <ref>cpim.org/photo/bengal-violence.pdf</ref>
| [[Uluberia]], [[West Bengal]]
| 17-06-2009
| succumbed to injuries after an attack in the village by [[Trinamool Congress]] workers on 09-07-2009
|-

|-
| Tilak Tudu
| [[Salboni]], [[West Bengal]] <ref>http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091212/jsp/bengal/story_11855145.jsp</ref>
| 11-12-2009
| gunned down by [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)]] [[guerrilla]]s
|-

| A.B.Bijesh
| [[Thrissur]] , Kerala
| 02-11-2009
| murdered by the [[National Democratic Front]] fundamentalists
|-


|-
| Dipanwita Jana
| [[Nandigram]], [[West Bengal]] <ref>http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100123/jsp/bengal/story_12019235.jsp</ref>
| 22-01-2010
| raped & murdered (allegedly by Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee goons) while going for tuitions, body found in [[Haldi River]]
|-


|-
| Partha Biswas
| [[Binpur II (Community development block)|Harda]], [[West Bengal]]
| 04-04-2010
| gunned down by [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)]] [[guerrilla]]s
|-

|Swapan Koley
| [[Andul]] , [[West Bengal]]
|16-12-2010
|beaten to death in college by TMC goons
|-
| Aneesh Rajan<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/ldf-walkout-over-sfi-workers-death/article3019075.ece LDF walkout over SFI worker's death]</ref>
| [[Idukki]] , Kerala
| 18-03-2012
| murdered
|-


| Rohit Kumar <ref>http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120927/main4.htm</ref>
| [[Chakmoh]] , [[Himachal Pradesh]]
| 26-09-2012
| murdered in front of his college by 5 motorcyclists
|-

| Sudipto Gupta<ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/autopsy-indicates-assault-on-sfi-leader-cpm-cries-murder/1097459/ SFI student leader Sudipto Gupta beaten to death]</ref>
| [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]]
| 02-04-2013
| death in police custody, investigation on-going
|}

<ref>http://keralasfi.org/category/martyrs</ref>

=== Violence ===
SFI cadres have often been responsible for violence inside and outside college campuses. In an incident which shook the whole nation ten SFI activists were arrested for brutally killing three college students inside the campus. The deceased Kim Karunakaran, Sujith and Anu P.S. were students of the Devasom Board College in Parumala, Pathanamthitta district. Karunakaran and Sujith were doing pre-degree (equivalent of +2) and Anu was in the degree class.<ref>http://www.indianexpress.com/news/killers-free-10-yrs-on-no-justice-in-kerala/12926</ref> SFI activists were also accused of murdering a policeman inside NSS Arts college in Changanacherry while trying to control their violence.{{Citation needed|date=January 2013}} The SFI has often been involved in violent clashes with other political organizations. This violence has led to the death of several members over the years.<ref>http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article3545124.ece</ref><ref>http://www.mathrubhumi.com/english/story.php?id=121631</ref><ref>http://www.sficec.org/userfiles/file/blazing_stars.pdf</ref>

== Notes ==
<references/>
{{Coord|28|37|7.3|N|77|13|8|E||display=title}}

[[Category:Student wings of political parties in India]]
[[Category:Student wings of communist parties]]
[[Category:1970 establishments in India]]

Revision as of 12:37, 26 April 2013

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