CHENNAI: Politicians may always have a say in the way education policy is made in India, but without due diligence, it could lead to another Rohith Vemula incident. This was the general consensus among four politicians belonging to four different parties taking part in a panel discussion on ‘Should politicians have a say in formulating education policy?’ on the first day of The New Indian Express ThinkEdu Conclave. Author and journalist Shankkar Aiyar, the chair for the panel, asked, “What then should be the exact role of government in this regard?”
Kavitha Kalvakuntla, MP from Telangana, went straight for the jugular, stating she was all for non-interference of politicians in the functioning of institutions.
“All of you have seen what happened in the University of Hyderabad. There was constant friction between two student groups, and when the political intervention started, then things started going wrong,” she said, adding it was still necessary to have politicians involved in the policy process. “I can put forth people’s views and get something done about it,” she explained.
Praniti Shinde, Congress MLA from Solapur, struck the same chord, saying that in spite of apprehensions, politicians were integral to policy-making, with inputs from other sections. “The country’s future is in the hands of the students, and not so much the politicians,” she said.
P Rajeev, former CPI(M) MP from Kerala, while reiterating the importance of politics, said that it came with strings attached. “Nobody can isolate education from politics. However, politicians should be more vigilant to ensure equity and access to education. The failure to do this has been reflected in the suicide of Rohith Vemula,” he asserted.
BJP MP Poonam Mahajan talked of policy-making being an inclusive process, and justified politicians’ involvement by calling them a reflection of the people. She, however, insisted that a lot needed to be changed with respect to the education system, and pushed for ‘Indianisation’ of the system. “We have to find a midway, so that we can get Indian culture, ethos and history into the education system,” she argued.
The speakers’ consensus, a rare event, led Aiyar to say, “I wonder why Parliament doesn’t function” to which Mahajan quipped, “It’s because the other Party isn’t here.”
Centre versus the states
The speakers also touched upon the extent to which the Centre should get involved in education, which is a state subject. Rajeev was in favour of the states enjoying complete autonomy with the Centre’s role restricted to only providing funds. Shinde, however, reckoned the Centre would have to step in certain cases.