After the Fifth Congress of the Kurdistan Students Union organization was held, an unusual situation prevailed over the organization. The main organizational committee of Baghdad was established, and later its activities expanded and covered the organization of other areas as well, in a way that had shaken the position of the secretariat's work. In order to resolve this problem, the Central Bureau of the Kurdistan Democratic Party decided to form a (Central Organizational Office) from both sides to resolve this problem. This office had its headquarters in Baghdad and it was decided that it would continue its work until the Sixth Congress of the Kurdistan Students Union was held1.
On March 11, 1970, the March 11 Agreement was signed between the revolution leadership and the Iraqi government. After the agreement, the activities of the Party and mass organizations entered a new phase. Under the auspices of this agreement, the freedom of political and organizational work developed, and the factionalism that had prevailed over the organization and the Party's organizations faded. The breakaway group of the Political Bureau, known as (Jalali), returned to the Party, and once again a new phase of joint and public work began.
The Kurdistan Students Union benefited from this situation and opened its branches in Baghdad and all cities of Kurdistan. From then on, all Kurd students publicly joined the organization's structures2.
The new situation pushed the Kurdistan Students Union towards holding a new congress. Since the Party had held its Eighth Congress a short time earlier, the (Central Organizational Office) of the Kurdistan Students Union also decided to hold its Sixth Congress in order to reorganize itself and strengthen its ranks3.
Initially, it was decided that this congress would be held in the city of Sulaymaniyah, but later it was moved to the village of Nawprdan, where the Eighth Congress of the Kurdistan Democratic Party had previously been held and the requirements for the congress were ready there. Through the (Al-Ta'akhi) newspaper, the representatives were informed of this change and the holding of the congress4.
Holding the Congress:
After the preparations, the Sixth Congress of the Kurdistan Students Union began its work on July 15 to 18, 1970, in a free atmosphere in the liberated areas of the September Revolution, in the village of Nawprdan, affiliated with Erbil Governorate, under the slogan (Peace - Science - Brotherhood), with the attendance of 475 representatives. The first speech delivered was the speech of President Mustafa Barzani, which was read by Brigadier General Aziz Akrayi. The speech of the Political Bureau of the Kurdistan Democratic Party was also read by Dr. Mahmoud Osman5.
At the beginning of the congress's work, the Executive Committee was elected as follows:
1- Adil Murad, known as Adil Fayli
2- Anwar Abdullah, known as Anwar Ra'is
3- Ranj Nuri Shaways
4- Farhad Awni
5- Abdulqadir Muhammad Amin
6- Arif Tayfur
7- Nuri Akrayi
8- Jarjis Hassan
9- Sabah Akrayi
10- Saadi Khalil
11- Adil Laylani
12- Wazira Pirdaud Qadir
13- Muhammad Haji
14- Yusuf Mawlud Qassab
15- Osman Salih Osman, known as Osman Khoshnaw
16- Jalal Khoshnaw
17- Akram Ahmad
18- Izzadin Rashid Haji Badri, known as Shirko Sindi
19- Haji Muhammad Krit
20- Jawad Muhammad, known as Jawad Shirwani
21- Abdullah Muhammad, known as Abdullah Bawani6.
After discussing the congress topics and evaluating the draft program and internal regulations which had undergone fundamental changes, the Executive Committee meeting was held on the 18th of the month, and the new secretariat was elected by the votes of the congress members as follows:
1- Anwar Abdullah - President
2- Jarjis Hassan Abdullah - Vice President
3- Farhad Awni - Secretary
4- Jalal Salim Khoshnaw - Member of the Secretariat
5- Adil Fazil Laylani - Member of the Secretariat
7- Ranj Nuri Shaways - Member of the Secretariat
8- Yusuf Mawlud Qassab - Member of the Secretariat7.
In that congress, President Mustafa Barzani was unanimously designated as the (Honorary President) of the Students Union8.
A number of important decisions and recommendations were issued at the congress, such as: Developing Kurd culture. Opening study courses for Peshmerga. Supporting the March 11 Agreement. Determining the students who will be sent abroad. Supporting the opening of universities and institutes in Kurdistan. Opening seven branches of the Kurdistan Students Union in the designated areas, which were the branches of: Baghdad, Erbil, Mosul, Duhok, Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk, and Diyala9.
The Sixth Congress, as expected, did not proceed without problems. During the election of Anwar Abdullah as president, under the pretext that he was given extra votes and the number of congress members was increased in an unusual way, a number of Executive Committee members did not participate in the first meeting of the Executive Committee as a form of protest. This protest grew until it reached 15 members out of 21. According to the program and internal regulations, if the majority of the Executive Committee members are dissatisfied with the work of the president or his deputy, the election can be repeated. Therefore, the Executive Committee, in the meeting of February 1971, without the presence of Anwar Abdullah and Qadir Hamadamin, organized a new election and Adil Murad Fayli was elected as the president of the Kurdistan Students Union. After a while, both Jarjis Hassan and Adil Fazil Laylani went abroad for study purposes. Since the date for holding the Seventh Congress was near, which was scheduled to be held in 1972, no one else was designated as vice president10.
After holding the congress, based on the March 11 Agreement which was stated in the fifth clause, the Kurd mass organizations became members of the central organizations. The Kurdistan Students Union became a member of the National Union of Iraqi Students, the president of the Kurdistan Students Union became the vice president of the National Union of Iraqi Students, and three members of the secretariat bureau also became members of the executive bureau of the aforementioned union11.
Sources and footnotes
1- Irfan Aziz Aziz, Congresses and Conferences of the Kurdistan Students Union, First Edition, (Erbil-Rojhalat Printing House-2012), p. 55.
2- Same source, p. 56.
3- Sasan Awni, Kurdistan Students Union: Some Aspects of Struggle and History, (Erbil - Ministry of Education Press - 1998), p. 24; Irfan Aziz Aziz, same source, p. 27.
4- Irfan Aziz Aziz, previous source, p. 57.
5- The 26th Anniversary Memoir of the Sixth Congress of our Students Union, Khabati Qutabian Magazine, organ of the Kurdistan Students Union, issue 13, third series, July 1996 AD, p. 4; Irfan Aziz Aziz, previous source, p. 58; Sasan Awni, previous source, p. 28.
6- The Sixth Conference of the Kurdistan Students Union of Iraq, Al-Ta'akhi Newspaper, issue 496, Baghdad, Dar Al-Jahiz Press, Monday, 27 July 1970 AD, p. 3; Sasan Awni, previous source, p. 32.
7- Irfan Aziz Aziz, previous source, pp. 59-60; Hama Salih Farhadi, A Page from the History of the Kurdistan Students Union, Peshkawtin Newspaper, organ of the Kurdistan Democratic Students and Youth Union, issue 27, early July 1992 AD, p. 2.
8- Sasan Awni, previous source, p. 31.
9- Same source, p. 31.
10- Irfan Aziz Aziz, previous source, pp. 62-63.
11- Same source, p. 63.