Students’ federation of India was formed through its First Conference which was held at Thiruvananthapuram between December 27to 30th in the year 1970. In the latter half of 1970 student leaders from various states assembled together at Calcutta and decided to form a new student organization which is committed to bring together the students of our country and lead them on issues such as radical ed
ucation reforms, employment, safeguarding and expansion of democratic rights and give the students movement of our country a new and correct direction leads to the formation of Students Federation of India. As regards the Kerala Unit of the organization, the State Committee started functioning from February 1971 and the first State Conference was held between March 11th to 13th at Palakkad during the year 1971. Since then it has been an era of relentless struggle for the organization striving to ensure justice for the student community in the State. The State unit had a very modest beginning spreading its tentacles over a few colleges in the State. Over the years, the Students Federation of India has grown into the biggest student organization in the State. The Students Federation of India leads the University Unions in all the Universities in the State. The very fact that the Students Federation of India commands majority in almost all the colleges/schools/polytechnics/Industrial Training Institute/Professional institutions including the Engineering and Medical College sin the State reflects the commitment of the organization in its attempt to cater to the needs of the students. The organization had on its rolls less than 50,000 members in the State in its formative stage. As per the statistics available for the academic year 2009-2010, the membership stands at 12 lakhs. All this years SFI in its march forward under the banner of Independence, Democracy, socialism had to deal with and counter various wrong tendencies with in the student movement. These 40 years have been very difficult years. In the last forty year right from Comrade Devapalan to Comrade. A.B. Bijesh, around 29 Cadres have become martyrs to the cruel and barbaric deeds of the fundamentalist and night wing forces operating in the state. Several of its members were tortured, Jailed and academically victimized. SFI was able to with stand the stiff resistance offered by all sections offered by who want to divide the student community on the basis of religion and caste and to commercially education. A section of the media nursing the capitalist and feudal ideologies with the active assistance of the pseudo intelligentsia who put forward the age old reactionary slogan that students should not take part in politics have made many an attempt to destroy the organization by spreading false and untrue campaign whereby trying to show the organization in poor light. However, the organization has outlived such malicious motives, thanks of the unflinching commitment by the rank and file of the organization and the continuous support of the student community. SFI becomes the prime target of all reactionary forces because the enemies of the people recognize that from within the student community it represents the main danger challenging their authority. During the period of emergency, when the democratic set up was facing its greatest peril, SFI organized many protests and student agitations to uphold the principles of democracy. Many of its cadres were jailed arbitrarily and because victims of organized torture. Comrade Mohammed Mustafa died as a result of the torture inflicted by the police. It is after the emergency period that the state organization witnessed a tremendous growth. The efforts of the organization in upholding the principles of justice and democracy were recognized and appreciated by the entire society including the student community. On the basis of martyrdom and glorious sacrifices of its members SFI today become the leading force in uniting the students on common issue. It is only the consistent efforts of the organization in upholding and catering to the needs of the students, the organization could grow into as where it stands today. No other organization has waged its struggle as the Students Federation of India against ragging and exploitation of students, attempts to communally polarize the student community etc. The Students Federation of India throughout the years has effectively warded off all diabolic attempts to commercialize education, which is detrimental to the interests of the student community. As the largest student organization in the state and the true inheritor of the glorious traditions of the pre-Independence student movement, SFI Kerala State Committee will carry on the struggle for a better future.
