SFI organised a solidarity programme with kisan march at the Gateway of India, Mumbai. As tourists reach at the Gateway of India site, they are greeted by the banner ," #StudentsForFarmers ." SFI also called upon the student community to take part in the kisan march which will be held on the 29th and 30th in New Delhi.
According to the report of Times of India(2017), Maharashtra touched to record a high number (2,917) of farmer suicides in 2017. Nearly half of Maharashtra declared drought hit zone. But ,it is proved that drought is not a natural crisis but man-made crisis. Basically, farmers are following the directions of the research institutes and government departments, even he has left his traditional ways of farming under these directions. It is also a part of politics to say it is an un-natural condition created by humans. We should also fix the responsibility of those who were responsible for policy matters, which had all machinery under its control, who were responsible for managing these conditions. So,this is not a suicide of farmers but murder by the system.
Numerous students who are coming from the drought affected agricultural families are forced to drop their studies. In this context, SFI waged different protests and campaign demanding free hostel, free bus passes, total removal of academic fee for the drought affected students.
"Farmers from across the country are going to assemble on the 29th and 30th in New Delhi to put forward their demand in the form of the 'Kisan Mukti March', for a 21-day Special Parliamentary Session. We also hope that the problems of students coming from drought affected or agrarian crisis hit family should be discussed in parliament. We will also launch more campaigns highlighting this issue in coming days. We do not see the issues of farmers alien to the issues the students face these days. We both are victims of the agressive neo-liberal policies being pursued by the NDA regime. The time demands a larger unity and struggles." Said Mayukh Biswas, General secretary of SFI.
