'Students should become catalysts of social change'

The gap between poor and rich has increased, says Social Activist

He was addressing at the State conference of the Campus Front of India (CFI) at the Nehru Maidan here on Sunday. “Students should give more emphasis for campus activities and become catalysts of social changes. However, it is unfortunate that students are losing enthusiasm in activities and are engaged more in studies because of the competition in the job market,” he pointed out.

The nation becomes independent only when equal powers have been entrusted to the poor and farmers, he said. “The gap between the poor and the rich has been increasing considerably after the independence, while the ratio of wealth of the poor and the rich was 1:50 in the pre-Indpendence period, it has been changed to 1:3,000 at present,” he added.

No initiatives have been taken even when the number of atrocity against women and minority are increasing considerably.

Disparity on women and the caste is prevalent in all religions, he explained and called upon the student community to raise their voice for a change in the society.

In his address, Vartha Bharati daily Chief Editor Abdul Salam Puthige said, “communalism, no matter whether it is saffron or green, poses threat to the society.”

He said that students should join hands to ward off the evil of communalism from the society. “A section of the student community concentrate only on studies and do not bother about the society.

Meanwhile, another section engage in activities with an objective of bringing reformation in the society. We should appreciate the efforts of those students, who participate actively in social movements,” Puthige said.

Delivering the inaugural address, CFI President A Mohammed Yusuff said the Sangh Parivar and its student organisation ABVP were a major barrier for social change in the nation. “Campuses in India should be liberated from the clutches of the ABVP.

Only then students can engage in activities to bring changes in the society,” he suggested.

Chief Editor of Thejas daily Prof P Koya said that a student revolution should be launched to rectify the irregularities in the society.