THE SFI Maharashtra state camp was held at Wardha in the Vidarbha region from June 1-4, 2019. The SFI state camp, which is held regularly every year before the commencement of the academic year,  was being held this time just a week after the Lok Sabha election results. It was attended by 112 delegates from 19 districts. They included 30 girl students. The venue was named after the veteran AIKS leader and ex-MP of Wardha, Ramchandra Ghangare, the hall after SFI martyr Abhimanyu, and the stage after the tribal girl who was forced to commit suicide, Dr Payal Tadvi.  

After the flag hoisting by SFI state president Balaji Kaletwad, the floral tributes to martyrs and the condolence resolution, the camp was inaugurated by AIKS state vice president and former SFI state president Yashwant Zade.

The subjects and the teachers in the four-day class were as follows: education policy and challenges before the student movement by SFI all India general secretary Mayukh Biswas; gender equality by SFI all India joint secretary Dipsita Dhar; the danger of communalism by AIKS all India president Ashok Dhawale; identity politics by AIKS all India joint secretary Badal Saroj; climate change and drought by SFI state secretariat member Navnath More; what is socialism by AIKS state vice president Uday Narkar; SFI programme and constitution by SFI state president Balaji Kaletwad and SFI organisation building by SFI state secretary Rohidas Jadhav.

The delegates had been divided into eight groups. After the placing of every subject, there was a good group discussion and a lively question-answer session.

 On the second day in the evening, the delegates conducted a fund collection campaign in Wardha city for two hours. A sum of Rs 23,932 was enthusiastically collected from the people. Every night there was a cultural session where delegates presented songs and other cultural items.

The SFI state committee that was held along with the camp took the following decisions that were reported to and welcomed by the delegates with enthusiasm.

1. Launch a seven-day statewide fund collection drive from the people from June 15 to 22 and deposit all the amount collected at the state committee meeting in Mumbai on June 23-24.
2. The BJP-Shiv Sena state government has decided to close down hundreds of zilla parishad Marathi schools. This will throw out innumerable students from the rural areas from education. Against this, on July 1, the SFI will lead a statewide agitation at the district level and will mobilise students, teachers and parents.
3. The scholarship issue has again come to the fore. Thousands of students have not got their scholarships of last year. Scholarships for many courses have been stopped. This will affect innumerable poor and backward class students. The SFI will lead a statewide demonstration on this issue on the State Commissioner’s office in Pune in August.
4. Student elections have not been held in the state for many years. Even after the enactment of the new University Act which provided for elections, this has not been implemented. On August 9, there will be a statewide agitation on this issue and from August 28 to 31, the SFI will hold parallel elections in selected universities and colleges.
5. A state-level girl students convention will be organised by the SFI at Ulhasnagar in Thane district on August 11-12. This will be preceded by district-level conventions in July.
6. In view of the state assembly elections in October, this year’s membership campaign will be completed from July 1 to August 31. It is planned to cross the one lakh mark this year. To plan for this, extended district committee meetings will be held in June and they will be attended by state secretariat members.

In the concluding session, SFI state joint secretary Nitin Wavhale placed the credentials report. State secretary Rohidas Jadhav placed all the above decisions. State president Balaji Kaletwad in his concluding speech called upon all to spare no efforts to make all these tasks a great success.

All mass organisations in Wardha district made excellent arrangements for this camp and their leaders and volunteers were profusely thanked amidst cheers. The camp ended with the spirited rendering of “We Shall Overcome”.