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Time of India
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Delegates meet of SFI national conference begins in Kozhikode
Kozhikode: The four-day delegates conference of the 18th national conference of SFI began in Kozhikode on Friday with the slogan "Education is our right, unity is the way, diversity is our strength". Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The conference was inaugurated by veteran journalist Sashi Kumar and theatre actor MK Raina at the Aspinwal Courtyard. The delegate conference will conclude on Monday with a massive rally where around 25,000 students are expected to participate. Chief minister will inaugurate the concluding public meeting. SFI national president VP Sanu presided over the inaugural function. Former SFI national president Arun Kumar, AIKS general secretary Vijoo Krishnan, AIDWA all India president PK Sreemathi addressed the gathering. Journalist Sashi Kumar said that RSS-BJP regime was distorting history. "By introducing new curricula, they are implementing their own agenda," he said. "We are living in a time when people cannot distinguish between truth and falsehood due to rampant social media propaganda. It's an era where the world blindly follows fabricated lies. This is the time for the youth to take up the fight to uphold the truth," Kumar added.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
At SFI national conference, delegates urged to use culture, social media as tools to counter misinterpretations
The delegate session of the 18th all-India conference of the Students Federation of India (SFI) that began in Kozhikode on Friday called upon the organisation's members to explore the culture of the country as well as the possibilities of the social media to counter the misinterpretations, dis-interpretations, and the peddling of half-truths and untruths by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Veteran journalist Sashi Kumar and theatre activist M.K. Raina, who inaugurated the session, pinpointed the importance of culture and how it could be used as a tool for the counter attack. 'Culture is of less importance in the Left ideology where economics is central. But our enemies are using culture as identity. You need to relook into culture and de-mystify the idea,' Mr. Shashikumar said. Mr. Raina said that it was the job of today's Marxists to locate the seeds of modernity in the culture. 'Use culture at every level; not just as entertainment, but for compassion and to get a direction. Organise cultural events. Use culture as a weapon of resistance,' he said. Mr. Sashi Kumar urged the delegates to use social media to spread the truth to counter the 'new normal' that is being put forth by the right wing. 'The mainstream media is under threat. SFI is in the best place to be the filter to provide an alternative narrative,' he added. Mr. Raina went a step ahead and volunteered to train the youngsters in whatever way he could. 'Your mobile camera can do wonders. Use it wisely', he added. Earlier, Mr. Sashi Kumar pointed out that India is mirroring the U.S. in that it is suppressing protests, arresting students and raiding universities. 'USA is a mockery since it is run by a person who states 'I am the State'. Sense of ethics, propriety and decency have been thrown out of the window and truth is a casualty,' he said, and called out the world nations for the hypocrisy of allowing Israel to unleash violence and offering impunity, while the resistances are being reported as malice or a disease. He went on explaining the difference between Hindutva and Hinduism and drew parallels with Zionism and Semitism. 'Both Hindutva and Zionism are poisonous constructs,' he added. Earlier, the conference began as SFI national president V.P. Sanu hoisted the flag. Flags brought from the home towns of 122 student martyrs were also set up at the venue. General secretary Mayukh Biswas, national vice-president Nitheesh Narayanan, joint secretary Debanjan Dev, Minister for Tourism and chairman of the organising committee P.A. Mohamed Riyas and other leaders were present. The conference will conclude on Sunday when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the public convention on Kozhikode beach.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
SFI delegates laud hospitality of Kozhikode
Neha Thomas For Soubyanta D. Chakraborthy, his first impression of Kozhikode was quickly shaped by the hospitality of autorickshaw drivers in the city. 'Everyone here is so welcoming. I do not feel like an outsider at all,' he said. Mr. Chakraborthy, a delegate from West Bengal, is one of over 800 attendees at the four-day 18th All-India Conference of the Students Federation of India (SFI), which began here on Friday (June 27, 2025). Participants from outside Kerala have especially appreciated the warmth of Kozhikode, finding it conducive to sharing their cultural experiences and building connections across regional boundaries. 'It has been a wonderful opportunity to learn about a new State and its culture,' said Aanisha, the organisation's Punjab State president. When asked about Kerala's traditional food, Sakhi, a student from Jamia Millia Islamia, pointed out the distinctive colour of the water served in restaurants. 'In Kerala, the water is pink!' she said, referring to 'karingali vellam' — water infused with herbs, roots, bark, and seeds. Shivagi Pozta, a delegate who had travelled all the way from Himachal Pradesh, preferred to stick with the classics. 'Dosa with some coconut chutney is my favourite,' she said. The participants also shared insights into the SFI's activism in their respective States. 'We are the strongest progressive political organisation in Delhi,' said Mehina Fathima, a student at the Delhi University. Those from the Capital acknowledged that activism often came with challenges. 'We organise pro-Palestine protests outside the Israeli Embassy and are frequently detained as a result,' said Sakhi. Maharashtra State president Rohidas said the organisation had been working with girls from tribal communities. 'We recently helped 6,000 tribal students gain admission to residential schools,' he added. Mr. Rohidas mentioned that he is a PhD scholar. Two other PhD scholars from Maharashtra had also attended, and all three said they were balancing their activism with academic research. The conference created a space for students to connect across regional and linguistic boundaries. As they sat together, Sujith Tripura and Somnath Nirmal — central committee members from Tripura and Maharashtra, respectively — discussed issues in their home States and expressed a desire to visit Wayanad. A photo of Delhi's Mehina Fathima and Rajasthan's Abhijeet Poonia raising their fists at Kozhikode Beach perfectly captures how students from across India have come together on the shores of the Arabian Sea. S. Nanshana, a State committee member from Kerala, said a significant number of delegates had come from outside the State. The conference will conclude on Monday (June 30, 2025).
The Hindu
a day ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
India pins its hopes on divers at Asian swimming championships
Entrusted with the responsibility of reviving the Asian swimming championships in Ahmedabad after a nine-year gap in October, the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) is not only looking at showcasing its organisational ability but also backing its divers to achieve worthwhile results in the continental event. Competing alongside global swimming powers such as China, Japan and Korea at the newly-built 'world class venue,' India is pinning its hopes on its divers. 'There's reasonable expectation that we may have a medal in diving. We've sent our divers for a one-month training programme in Malaysia, where they can get a little bit of informal judging. Their scores can be realistically projected. An Australian coach (Shannon Roy) is working with them, particularly in the men's synchronised diving event, where we are targeting a medal. They were supposed to go to Australia for a competition, but couldn't get visas. We are looking at other competitions,' SFI secretary Monal Chokshi told The Hindu. 'We are having a water polo camp (for 25 men and 25 women) from January in Bangalore. We will be selecting the best 14 and four reserves. We are planning to send them to an eastern European country for training in the last one month of preparation. 'We will bring back one of the coaches (Babovic Miodrag and Anderic Nemanja) who were working with our teams for the Asian Games preparation, but the teams were not cleared. This Asian Championships is going to be also the Asian Games qualifier with the top-six qualifying. After 1986, we have never played at the Asian Games. So we hope to break the jinx.' The SFI expects good performances from four swimmers. 'In terms of medals, we are very unsure. We have good prospects. Srihari (Nataraj), Benediction Rohit has performed exceptionally well. We have seen some great performances from Shoan Ganguly as well as Aryan Nehra. We'll be holding the India camp for two months at the same venue,' said Chokshi.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
SFI harbours medal hopes at Asian swimming championships in Ahmedabad
Entrusted with the responsibility of hosting the first edition of the Asian championships since 2016, the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) is not only looking at showcasing its organisational ability but also backing its divers and water polo teams to achieve worthwhile results in the continental event when it takes place in Ahmedabad in October. Competing alongside top countries such as China, Japan and South Korea at the newly-built 'world class venue,' India is pinning its hopes on its divers. 'There's reasonable expectation that we may have a medal in diving. We've sent our divers for a one-month training programme in Malaysia, where they can get a little bit of informal judging. Their scores can be realistically projected. An Australian coach (Shannon Roy) is working with them, particularly in the men's synchronised diving event, where we are targeting a medal. They were supposed to go to Australia for a competition, but couldn't get visas. We are looking at other competitions,' SFI secretary Monal Chokshi told Sportstar. 'We are having a water polo camp (for 25 men and 25 women) from January in Bangalore. We will be selecting the best 14 and four reserves. We are planning to send them to an eastern European country for training in the last one month of preparation. ALSO READ | Mind and body are in sync, I've developed as an athlete: Srihari Nataraj 'We will bring back one of the coaches (Babovic Miodrag and Anderic Nemanja) who were working with our teams for the Asian Games preparation, but the teams were not cleared. This Asian championships is going to be also the Asian Games qualifier with the top-six qualifying. After 1986, we have never played at the Asian Games. So we hope to break that jinx.' The SFI expects good performances from four swimmers. 'In terms of medals, we are very unsure. We have good prospects. Srihari (Nataraj), Benedicton Rohit has performed exceptionally well. We have seen some great performances from Shoan Ganguly as well as Aryan Nehra. We'll be holding the India camp for two months at the same venue,' said Chokshi. With a new swimming pool set to be inaugurated in Ahmedabad in a few days, Chokshi believes that it will help India in bidding for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics. Chokshi said in this backdrop 'the ecosystem was very receptive to the thought of hosting a large international event' and hosting the Asian championships would 'demonstrate our capacity to hold international events'. 'Across all disciplines we would have roughly about 1500-1600 athletes (from diving, swimming, water polo and artistic swimming). The competition is staggered because it's a single 50m pool, a warm-up pool of 25m and a diving well. The swimming and diving events will start on September 26,' informed Chokshi.
