By JKNSF
On 18 January 2019, Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF) and Revolutionary Students Front (RSF) organized a students’ rights conference at Rawalpindi Press Club. In which more than 200 students from Kashmir, Rawalpindi and other areas participated. A delegation of Progressive Students Collective (PSC) from Lahore and RSF delegation from Faisalabad participated along with the Member National Assembly, Comrade Ali Wazir in the conference.
Before the starting of the conference, students organized a rally in which they chanted slogans for the students’ rights and removal of the ban on students union. Students wearing the yellow vests were also holding banners and placards expressing solidarity with France’s Gilet Jaunes (Yellow Vest) movement.
A book stall with the revolutionary literature was assembled by The Struggle Publications.
Book Stall by The Struggle Publications
After the Rally, the conference formally opened. Comrade Ali Wazir, Member National Assembly and leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) was the Chief Guest of the Conference whereas the conference was Presided by JKNSF’s President, Abrar Latif. Awais Qarni, Central organizer RSF, Basharat Ali Khan, Former President JKNSF, Waqas Manzoor, organizer SLF, Haider Butt and Raza Gillani , leaders of PSC, Mohiba Ahmad from Women’s Collective, Saif Mandahar, deputy organizer RSF, Ammara Zia Khan, Students leader Faisalabad, Mujtaba Banday, Arooba Ahmad and several others spoke to the participants of the conference while the duties of stage secretary were performed by Rihana Akhtar and Murawat Rathore.
Comrade Ali Wazir, Member National Assembly
Speaking to the conference, Ali Wazir said that there is an immediate need to change the syllabus and educational system. The doors of education have been closed for the poor and oppressed populous. There is a need to struggle for justice and the basic constitutional rights not just inside but also outside the parliament, and the struggle against capitalist exploitation must be continued and further accelerated. He also announced that he would introduce a bill in the parliament for lifting the ban on students union and holding immediate elections.
The Past, Present and Future of the students’ movement was discussed in detail by other speakers. The speakers emphasized that there is a need to join the students’ movement with the struggle of workers and peasents to form a united front, and at the same time arming themselves with modern scientific ideas to dispose off the rotting corpse of the capitalist system which is at total failure to solve even the basic problems of humanity. PSC representatives said that this conference is just another link in the chain of events which started with the Students Solidarity March on 30 November 2018. And that this assembly of students representatives from different organizations on a single stage is a marvellous endeavour to start a combined struggle for the students’ rights, and against oppression, injustice and exploitation, which shall continue till the liberation of humanity.
To conclude the conference Yasir Hanif, secretary general JKNSF, presented a resolution which was unanimously approved by all the participants. The resolution demanded, lifting ban on the students union, nationalisation of all private educational institutions, provision of modern scientific education using modern educational techniques, provision of equal opportunities for women in all fields, provision of free education, free hostels and free transport for all students and removal of hateful content from academic books. Solidarity was expressed with the general strike of farmers and students in India, and with the oppressed nationalities and their movements in FATA, Baluchistan, Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir, an end to the military oppression, abductions and killings was also demanded.
Rally in Pictures
Conference in Pictures
Comrades Chanting Slogans in Rally
