Sri Vijaya Puram: Dweep Tulika's Ek Mulakat brings a long-form conversation between Editor-in-Chief R. Vineeth and Abdul Warish, a student organisation leader associated with the Students' Federation of India (SFI) in Andaman & Nicobar.
In the first part of the conversation, Warish reflects on his experiences as a student, his transition between private and government schooling, the problems he observed in school infrastructure and administration, his participation in a school-level Youth Parliament and the experiences that eventually led him towards student organisation activities.
The conversation is part of a multi-part series, with subsequent episodes expected to explore other subjects discussed during the interaction.
From Student Life to Raising School Issues
Looking back at his school years, Warish describes student life as more than academics and examinations. He reflects on the importance of the experiences, opportunities and environment that students encounter during their school years.
He also discusses his experience of studying in both private and government-school environments. In the conversation, he compares the two environments in terms of discipline, student strength and the learning experience.
A significant part of his recollection centres on infrastructure and basic facilities in government schools.
He speaks about issues such as classroom facilities, drinking water, maintenance of water systems, overcrowding and the condition of washrooms. He says these experiences made him realise that students should be able to identify problems around them and raise their concerns rather than simply accept them as part of school life. Pasted text
His First Experience with Student Democracy
Warish also recalls participating in a Youth Parliament programme while he was in school.
According to his account, different groups were formed as part of the programme and students were given an opportunity to participate in a simulated democratic process.
He describes this as his first experience of an election and says the opportunity helped him discover an interest in public speaking and participation.
He later campaigned among students and eventually formed a student cabinet, which he describes as another important stage in his early experience of student participation. Pasted text
From Classroom Problems to Collective Representation
The conversation then moves towards the way Warish began looking at school problems as collective issues rather than individual complaints.
He recalls raising concerns about classroom facilities, student strength, drinking water and washrooms. He says that after identifying these problems, he approached the school authorities and eventually learned that issues could also be taken to higher levels within the education system.
He describes learning how letters could be submitted to different authorities and how students could collectively present their demands. Pasted text
According to his account, some improvements followed after students submitted a collective representation, including changes related to washrooms, water connections and the school assembly area. Pasted text
The Importance of Awareness
Another recurring theme in the conversation is student awareness.
Warish says that students may receive education in classrooms but may not necessarily receive sufficient practical knowledge about government procedures, policies, certificates and other systems they encounter after school.
He refers to his own experience of dealing with documents and certificates and says that a lack of awareness about procedures can create difficulties for students, particularly when they are applying for admission or other opportunities.
He argues that students should have greater exposure to government policies, laws, procedures and opportunities while they are still in school. Pasted text
Looking Beyond the Islands
The conversation also touches upon Warish's experience of participating in a national-level SFI conference.
He describes observing students from different parts of India and says the experience exposed him to different educational realities, student movements and approaches to organising.
He particularly reflects on differences between students in the Islands and students in other parts of the country, including access to education and awareness of scholarships and government programmes. Pasted text
He says the experience strengthened his interest in working around education, youth opportunities and student awareness.
Why He Became Associated With SFI
Towards the later part of this first conversation, Warish explains how he came to know about student organisations and eventually encountered SFI.
He says that after learning that student organisations existed, he began looking at different organisations and their respective ideologies and working methods.
He describes discovering SFI through his own research and says he was attracted by some of the organisation's activities and principles. According to his account, he formally joined SFI on 8 March 2025. Pasted text
His role in the organisation subsequently developed through participation in activities and an All India Conference, where he interacted with student representatives from different states. Pasted text
Independent local reporting also records Warish's involvement with the SFI's Andaman & Nicobar State Organising Committee and his participation in its national conference in 2025. andamanchronicle.net
Education, Scholarships and Youth Opportunities
Warish says his experiences have led him towards a particular focus on education and youth opportunities.
He speaks about the need for students to understand the policies and scholarship programmes available to them and to ask questions about who benefits from a policy, how it is implemented and whether its benefits are reaching students equally.
He describes wanting to encourage a wider student movement around awareness of education policies and their implementation. Pasted text
He also says that policies can contain shortcomings and that young people should have the confidence to identify problems and suggest changes rather than simply accepting every policy as perfect. Pasted text
A Conversation That Continues
Part 1 of Ek Mulakat therefore traces a broad journey — from Warish's experiences as a school student and his first exposure to student democracy, to raising school-level concerns, discovering wider educational issues and eventually becoming involved in SFI.
The conversation is not presented as a formal press statement or policy briefing. It is a long-form interview, and the discussion moves naturally between personal experiences, education, student participation, organisational experiences and broader observations.
Further parts of the conversation will explore additional subjects discussed between R. Vineeth and Abdul Warish.