Naujawan Bharat Sabha organized its second national conference at Ambedkar Bhawan, on September 30th in New Delhi. More than 400 representatives from 11 states of the country assembled for this event. Positive and praiseworthy that NBS could turn itself from a regional group into an All-India body.
The first conference of “NBS” was organized in the year 2014. In the second conference, a report projecting a review of the work done in the last 9 years was presented. In consideration of the important changes, some important amendments were upheld in the old constitution and manifesto of NBS with the consent of the House. After this, during the conference, new executive, and office bearers of “NBS” were also elected. Ashish was elected President, Inderjeet was elected General Secretary, Mitrasen was elected Vice President and Nishu was elected Treasurer.
Tutelage and guidance of former leaders or cadre had an important bearing on the success of the conference like Sunny, Anand Singh, Prasen, Manjeet, Nishu, Pooja and Atul who were invited to preside over the sessions and Patwari Charanjit from Jagruk Nagrik Manch, Sham from the Automobile Industry Contract Workers Union, Rahul from Karawal Nagar Mazdoor Union, and Injinder from Adara Dakhal who conducted the supervisory board?
Congratulatory messages and statements of solidarity from Progressive Student Youth Organization (PSYO), Grameen Mazdoor. Union, Ambedkar Nagar, (U.P.); Automobile Industry Contract Workers' Union and Delhi State Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Union (DSAWHU) were read out.
The conference of NBS ended by shimmering, the light of revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Chandrashekhar “Azad”, Ashfaq, and Bismil.NBS resolved to escalate it’s impact on the people before the next conference, to elevate the work of “NBS” to a new height. Naujawan Bharat Sabha staged a “Student-Youth Struggle Rally” within which the revolutionary legacy of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh was resurrected for the public by resounding revolutionary slogans and distributing pamphlets in Jhandewalan area of Delhi.
Seeds were sown for new roses to bloom to resurrect message of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. As a participant, I was impressed with the crystallisation or revolutionary fervour and relentless determination of the youth to confront the oppressive social order. It was a befitting reply to Hindutva communal fascism, which is flowing at its helm and the tyranny unleashed by corporate like Adani and Ambani.
Positive to witness progressive youth assemble on an All India scale in such a disciplined manner ,from Haryana, Bihar, Allahabad, Benares, Delhi, Telengana, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. I was impressed with the relentless spirit of the youth and level of democratic, political and secular consciousness. It reflected the intensive ground work in infusing political education to cadres. I was privileged to attend the rally and open session, to be first hand witness to the relentless anti-imperialist spirit of the youth.
General Background
In the current scenario, the situation of education, healthcare and employment is deteriorating day by day. Problems like inflation, unemployment, and corruption ae soaring at a height and have simmered feelings of immense frustration among the people at it’s crescendo. To smash this trend, in the words of Bhagat Singh, “It is necessary to engender a spirit of revolution, so as to cause stir in the spirit of humanity.” With this hope and goal, and with a right direction, NBS is determined to organize and unite the youth movement across the country.Today, sectarianism, fanaticism, orthodoxy, and irrationality have penetrated and poisoned every branch of the society. The fascist regime of BJP, has torn apart all democratic-secular-progressive values. Even the most basic rights of the people are being smashed to the pulp with the bulldozer of repression. In such a situation, the progressive student-youth movement plays major role to confront the menace.
NBS believes that only by voicing the day to day burning issues related to our life, a progressive unity of the masses can be constructed and the fascist hooligan gangs overpowered. Positive to witness progressive youth assemble on an All India scale in such a disciplined manner from Bihar, Allahabad, Benares, Delhi, Telengana and Maharashtra. I was impressed with the relentless spirit of the youth and level of democratic, political and secular consciousness. It reflected the intensive ground work in infusing political education to cadres.
Summary
Units of the Naujwan Bharat Sabha have seriously confronted Hindutva fascism and the corporate tyranny it patronised. Street and basti level campaigns have been regular feature on issues of price rise, unemployment, Hindu fascism, housing bus fare hikes etc. It’s cadre have integrated in the very thick o the skin of workers struggles. It has also been a regular participant in protests condemning attacks on democratic rights of workers.NBS launched a concerted campaign against the bulldozer operations. Possibly no youth group placed as much emphasis on political education as NBS, who have with utmost regularity carried study circles for youth. I am impressed with its efforts in devising methods of work to infuse political consciousness, defying all obstacles. Their work was an advent of a new style of political practice, aiming to crystallise a ‘renaissance’ ,through enlivening revolutionary literature.
One of it’s most impactful programmes was staging the ‘Bhagat Singh national campaign against unemployment, where it reached out to people at the very grassroots. In 2020 it launched the Bhagat Singh Democratic Rights yatra, where with high intensity manifested the message of Bhagat Singh on diverse aspects.
A diversionary or divisive happening was the departure or disassociation of the Punjab Unit of NBS, on grounds of defending Punjab nationality question or national question. This was most unfortunate considering the major political wok inducted amongst students there.
An important aspect of the approach of the NBS was to give the youth mass organisation an independent structure with a genuine democratic programme, instead of being a front or wing of a revolutionary Communist party. In the past errors have been committed on imposing Maoist revolutionary line on mass organisations or infection of directly propagating party politics, like in the 1970’s and 80’s, or using youth fronts for parliamentary purposes.
A glaring weakness of the NBS is it’s abstaining from working within the Indian peasantry, which it analyses as ‘Kulaks’ or landlords, and an enemy f the landless agricultural workers. It completely rejected support to MSP in the farmers protest, terming the farmers as agents of the rulers. There is also a tendency to place overemphasis on political propaganda over grassroots class or mass work. In my personal view, without this rectification, it cannot concretely contribute to the Indian Revolution.
Struggle Reports
In Allahabad the NBS in a basti conducted a film show and cultural plays. At the grassroots level units have been formed in Azamgarh, Mau ,Gazipur, Balia, Mathura and Chitrakut. With high regularity and intensity campaigns shimmering message of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and his martyrs, Chandrashekar Azad etc.In Delhi in 6 districts in Karawalnagar, Shahbad dairy, Alipur, Khampur, Bavana, agitations have been launched on general issues like cleanliness, education water, etc. Frequently, campaigns were run like Bhgat Singh Yatra, voicing the burning day to day issues. It runs 6 democratic publications.
In Maharashtra, it translated the important writings of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, into Marathi. It ran a campaign in Mankhurd area of Mumbai against Bio-Waste plant which caused numerous illnesses , and succeeded in halting or disabling it. A qualitative struggle was also launched in Aarey colony, to save the forests from corporate takeover or plunder. In Pune study circles and publications were launched. An important struggle was also conducted in basti area, exposing the loopholes of the social sytem.In Ahmednagar NBS created a school to educate students on capitalism and imperialism.
In Haryana, NBS has made inroads in 10 districts. It has conducted several Abhiyans shimmering torch of Bhagat Singh .Burning issues like electricity bill sin 2015, unemployment, school children’s facilities,. After constructing an agitation, it met with severe repression from he police. A major Abhiyan was launched for 10 days last year, mobilising workers and exposing the poison created by Hindu communal fascism.
In Bihar in Gosai tola, it formed a book publishing unit,, film show and study circle in a basti. In Uttarakhand it has formed 2 units. In Haridawar it launched a publication unit, on the repressive nature of the education system. In Telengana it Rajdhani, Hyderabad, it conducted Bhagat Singh Yatra and Jan Abhiyan. Door to door campaigns were conducted on day to day issues.
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Harsh Thakor is freelance journalist who attended both conferences of Naujwan Bharat Sabha and been in touch with the work of the organisation in Mumbai, and in other states
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