Student Struggle – July 23, 2019

These are problems of staggering proportions.
Every democratic minded boy and girl can see
the lack of national educational policy, and the
criminal apathy and the cynicism that the gov-
ernment and the top public and private educa-
tional authorities have cultivated and bring to
bear on every problem of education.

A vast problem

Education is a problem affecting very vast num-
bers in India. According to the Government of
India’s claims, the number of pupil’s ‘on the roll’
in schools in India exceeds 830 lakh; and the
number of students enrolled in colleges and uni-
versities exceeds 33 lakh.

The claims of enrolment in schools are, without
doubt, exaggerated. However, whatever the truth
of these figures, it is clear that the number of
boys and girls of different ages knocking at the
doors of education is growing rapidly, and will
continue to grow. On the one hand, more and
people in India are thirsting for education, light,
and knowledge. On the other hand, the Congress
Government, in its Fifth Plan, proposes to curb,
restrict and rarefy educational opportunities se-
verely and to attack even the existing facilities.
Ultimately, education is a basic question to be
decided by the vast millions in India, the 30 per
cent literates as well as the 70 per cent illiterates,
all the boys and girls as well as their parents. It
is this great question-an education worthy of the
millions of the people, especially the toiling peo-
ple, of India that should be the SFI’s prime con-
cern. The SFI should stand firmly with the peo-
ple of India and with the working class and the
democratic movement in demanding an expan-
sion of educational opportunities, and real facili-
ties to study for all the people of India. Equally, it
must fight against the reactionary attitude of the
Central and State Governments to the education
of the masses, and against their plan to curb edu-
cational opportunities further.

Fight Imperialism

Imperialism is the enemy of the peoples of the

world. U. S. Imperialism is their chief enemy.

No honest student or youth today can be blind

to the imperialist penetration in our education,

particularly through organizations such as USIS

and the United States Educational Foundation

of India (USEFI). The eagerness with which the

academic frauds sent out by imperialism are ac-

cepted, and the increasing dependence on text-

books and other material specially prepared by

imperialism for backward countries such as In-

dia is a matter of the gravest concern. The work

of these enemies of the people in academic dis-

guise is aimed at injecting in the minds of stu-

dents and youth anti-democratic, anti-socialist,

pro-imperialist and degenerate ideas. At the

same time, outside, the strictly academic sphere,

intensive attempts are being made through the

mass media through films, through pornography

and through a personal example to disseminate

among Indian students and youth certain forms

of extravagant behavior, including the indiscrim-

inate aping of Western fashions, exhibitionism,

and habits such as drug-taking and hippiedom.

The obvious aim is to soften up youth, to disarm

potential fighters for democracy and socialism.

To ignore these pernicious forces, or to take them

lightly, is to retire at the start from the battle to

create a new education worthy of a new man.

30

Education,

like culture, is not

and can never be

apolitical or neutral,

because it is

conditioned by

the needs of

social classes and

their movements.

Student Struggle | June - July 2019