The Hindu : SFI to press for law to protect students' right to education

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

SFI to press for law to protect students' right to education

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE JULY 10. The Students Federation of India(SFI) will approach the Opposition parties in Parliament on the need to enact a legislation in the monsoon session which would ensure an opportunity for students from economically weaker sections for higher education.

The SFI all-India secretary, Kallol Roy, told presspersons here today that the move had been necessitated by the Supreme Court ruling in the T.M.A. Pai Foundation vs Union of India case which vested a number of rights in private managements including deciding the fee structure.

This could lead to widespread corruption in the education scenario as had been experienced in Maharashtra recently. It meant that students from economically weaker segments would be denied access to the mainstream of education.

The other way out of the present situation was to appeal to a larger division bench for a reversal of the ruling.

``I am here on behalf of the Central Executive Committee(CEC), to monitor and assess the situation developing here following the legitimate protest launched by students against the education policy of the State Government. I am shocked by the stance being adopted by the Government. It appears that the students are being treated as if they were criminals. Some girl students told me that they were kicked in the abdomen by policemen,'' he alleged.

``I am compelled to say that it is devils' own Government in God's Own Country,'' said Mr.Roy. "The police have slapped cases under Section 307 and 308, on the agitating students. All this exposed the Government's criminal intent. The young intelligensia will not tolerate such high-handed policy of suppression. Such action does not befit a highly civilised society as Kerala."

Mr.Roy expressed the view that the "anti-student, anti-education policy" being followed by the State Government was not different from the national policy. "We have no illusion that the NDA dispensation is going to be sensitive to this national need going by their past record. The example of the agitation here will be followed by the launching of an all-India agitation.''

Enumerating the educational achievements of Kerala, Mr. Roy pointed out that the progress had been by way of Government initiative and public money and not through private entrepreneurship.

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