STUDENT MOVEMENTS AFTER 1990s

1990 was a turning point on the history of the student movements. After this period the society comes in to a new situation with the effect of the globalization and the emergence of the post modern theory was made big shifts in our campuses. The beginning of 90s was the ideological end of the typical student movement’s epically in Kerala. The typical concept of the student movement was changed. New initiatives (Dalit environmental ,women ) are emerged in Campuses with the influence of the post modern thinking. Students starts new method of resistance with help of technology at the same time there is there are some challenges happened about the rights of students in the Campus and society. . The major initiatives happened in Kerala are as follows
Free Soft ware Movement
It is the digitalistic version of our struggle against globalisation. This is the movement against the monopoly of the Micro Soft corporations in the soft ware industry. It focused on the study, copy, modify and redistribution of software. It is the struggle against to the monopoly of knowledge. Now this movement is active in most of the Engineering Colleges in Kerala. Calicut NIIT conducted India’s biggest free soft were workshop is one of its example. of this trend. The students from the different professional colleges in Kerala conducted a training Programme for teachers in Govt IT Schools with its impact government substitute free soft were with Microsoft. It was the creative resistance of the professional college students against Globalisation.
Green Youth Movement (2000)
It is the initiative of some students located in Thrissur It was focused on the Green future of our society. The students from Calicut university and MG university Kottayam are also involved in this effort It conducted campaigns in different college campuses in Kerala about the Plachimada Issue They are published 20000 copies of news letter named as ‘another world’ and conduted campaign against the Express highway for saving the environment.
‘Manushy’(1990)
It was the effort of some women students in Sanskrit College Pattambi 1990 for addressing the issues of women students in Campuses It was the rare initiative of the women students in Kerala. It also address the non addressing women problems in 1990.
Dristy student Film Club(2002)
It was the effort for the providing good media awareness among students. As the part of there vision they were conducted regular film and documentary screening for students in college campuses It conducted ‘Mukthy Yatra’ a campaign against Communalism in the most of the college campuses in Kerala .and also the organisor of the film festival ‘Small film in a small world’ Sanju Surendren Deljo Jibu and Sanitha are the pioneers of this movement
Unarvu Gotra Paada Shal;a
In 2001 students from adivasi community in Trivandrum Kollam and Kannur are joint together for protecting the culture and tradition of the adivasi community and hand over it in to the next generation. This movement focused the student from lower schools to colleges. The students are very much concerned about the problems faces by themselves.. They are also part of the struggles of the Adivasi movements and struggles
Dalit Student Movement
D S.M is the vibrant student's movement in Kerala. This organisation is working for the unification of Dalit students and the struggle for their rights. They are intervening the common problems of students and the exceptional problems of Dalit students in campus. D.S.M conducted a 27 days fasting strike for Rajani S Anand incident. They worked forincrease the fellowship of university students by the year 2005 D.S.M is saying that the Dalits / adivasi are facing the same challenge as they faced at the time of denial. In the higher education there is many laws for obstruct the entering of Dalits. By the 1957education bill excluded P.S.C appointment and SC/ ST reservation and the 80% of Kerala's aided education sector is kept for the upper caste people. Government is having no answer in the realm of social justice in education. Reservations as a system came after1934 Poona pact for the participation of Dalits in governing institutions. Some people are defining reservation as a poverty alleviation programme. All sector of the society anti- reservation, anti- Dalit hiddenagendas working actively. D.S.M working in the society for addresses and intervenes in to the problems and the challenges of adivasi, women, Dalit Christians, other backward groups in the current social situation.
D.S.M is trying to promote the ideology of Ambedkar in the post modern world and also trying to relocate Dalits epistemology in the academic society.
In 2007 D.S.M conducted 5 th annual meetin at Kottayam. Dr. gopal guru, suci tharu, p.ravi kumar, suresh mane and justice k.t Thomas are deligate of this programme.
Youth For Equality
Youth for Equality was a banner under which the students were protesting against caste based reservations. YFE consists of mainly Professional students and professionals. Its activities were very successful and its call for strike got nation-wide support crippling the medical infrastructure of India In addition to complete roll-back of the proposed reservation, the striking protesters have demanded that an expert committee comprising members from non-political organisations to review the existing reservation policy and find out whether reservation for OBCs is required at all. Also, they demand that no penal action be taken against the protesters and publication of a white paper by the government, making its stand clear on reservation. The indefinite hunger strike organized by YFE was also very successful with nearly 150 students joining the hunger strike that enters the ninth day as on 23 May 2006.Resident doctors from all over India joined the protests crippling the health infrastructure of a number of cities. This caused great human suffering, and lead the Supreme Court to criticise the doctors.
YFE is amongst the most recent and most crediable students organisation of India. Generally the students movements are used by political parties, this is a unique non political students organisation. The movement was handled with a heavy han by police. YFE has challanged the Decision of Parliament in Apex Court and obtained stay on reservations. It may be noted that India has upto 70% seats reserved for different classes.