Alappuzha (Kerala) | The CPI, an ally of the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, on Thursday severely criticised the student outfit SFI, saying that if its ways are not corrected, it will become a liability for the Left front in the state.
The criticism came from CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam who told reporters here that the ways of the CPI(M)'s student wing -- the Students Federation of India (SFI) -- "are not that of the Left student movement."
"The SFI activists and comrades should read about the history of the student movement. They are not aware of their origins and what they stand for. The new SFI does not know the meaning of the term Left front. They do not know the depth of their political ideology.
"They also do not know about the obligations of the Left front in the new world. They have to be taught about all this. If they are not taught, if they are not corrected, SFI will become a liability for the Left front. That should not happen," Viswam said.
He was reportedly speaking with regard to the SFI's recent activities, including allegedly slapping a college principal and beating up a KSU leader in the University of Kerala campus, which have been in the news.
The severe criticism from Viswam came hours after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan defended, in the state Assembly, the SFI's activities.
Vijayan defended the SFI after the Congress-led opposition UDF accused the Left student outfit of indulging in criminal activities in state campuses.
Viswam also said that there are thousands of youngsters in the SFI and keeping them in mind also, the student outfit should be guided on to the right path.
"They (SFI) should be made the strength of the Left front. For that, they have to be made aware that the ways they have adopted now are not the right ones," the CPI state secretary said.
