The Students’ Federation of India has released a set of 10 posters which have used popular Hindi, English and Bengali songs as taglines to add punch to its campaign for the Bengal leg of the ongoing national march to oppose the Narendra Modi government’s new education policy.
The posters, which were released on Monday, feature images of SFI rallies and events in the past few days. The move is in line with the CPM and its mass organisations’ recent attempts to connect with the youth of the state by shunning its rigidity and embracing popular culture.
The catchphrases used in the posters include songs like Sadda Haq, Aithe Rakh from the film Rockstar (2011), Jinke Sir Ho Ishq Ke Chaon from Dil Se (1998), Roobaro, Roshni from Rang De Basanti (2006), We Will Rock You by the British rock band Queen, a Bengali song called Jharer Kachhe Rekhe Gelam Amar Thikana (I leave my address with the wind) composed by Salil Chowdhury, and Taray Taray Rotiye Debo (will spread it through the stars) by popular Bangladeshi artist James.
Asked why the organisation had decided to resort to Bollywood and rock numbers for the posters, SFI state secretary Srijan Bhattacharya, who is known for his musical inclinations, said the idea was to catch the attention of the young generation.
“This is the language we must use to connect with the young people and students. We don’t demand someone's tongue just because they are criticising us. That is the language of the thieves,” Bhattacharya said, alluding to a statement made by chief minister Mamata Banerjee at a rally of Trinamul’s students’ wing on Monday.
“Such offensive language is used and understood only by thieves,” he said to explain the import of SFI using popular songs in its posters.
Apart from the struggle against the Centre’s New Education Policy, the SFI state secretary also said the students’ of the country in general and Bengal in particular would take on the Hindutva agenda of the RSS-BJP combine.
Bhattacharya said SFI activists would lodge a protest against the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Khidderpore — earlier known as the Calcutta Port — on Wednesday. A dock in this port is named after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and SFI activists plan to place a plaque bearing his name in front of the port.
“The soil of Bengal belongs to Netaji and not to Syama Prasad,” Bhattacharya said. Mookerjee was the founder of the Jan Sangh that later metamorphosed into the BJP. He is considered to be an ideologue by the saffron camp.
“If we are stopped then one must understand that the government of India wants to insult Netaji. If the state police stop us then it will be clear that the Trinamul Congress is following orders from the BJP,” Bhattacharya said.
