Tirupati: The 25th State Conference of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) began in Tirupati on Friday with a rally and a public meeting. The event started from the Einstein statue at the SV Arts College main gate and moved through Balaji Colony and Mahati Auditorium before reaching the Nehru Municipal High School grounds.

Addressing the public meeting, SFI All India Secretary Srijan Bhattacharya said that the fight against the ‘saffronisation’ of education will continue and expressed confidence that students will succeed in this struggle. He said education should be based on high standards, not on any religious ideology. Bhattacharya accused the BJP-led central government of trying to suppress progressive ideas. He questioned the role of the RSS in the freedom movement and asked how such organisations could claim patriotism. He said SFI is ready to work with socialists, communists and people’s movements that fight for equality. He also demanded full support from the government for the family of SFI leader Penchalayya, who was killed in Nellore while campaigning against drug abuse.

SFI All India President Y Venkateswara Rao criticised the Central government’s New Education Policy, saying it promotes corporatisation, privatisation and saffronisation. He said it could erase true history from students’ learning. He questioned Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for restricting student unions despite having been a student leader himself. All India Joint Secretary Shilpa and Telangana State Secretary also addressed the gathering. Leaders including All India President Adarsh M Saji, Subhash, district leaders Akbar, Bhagat Ravi, Girls’ Committee Convenor Pallavi, Abdullah and Pavani were present.