There was a time when politics was associated with only the middle-aged and senior citizens. The presence of youth in politics was not welcomed, with the exception of a few. However, in a country with the world’s largest youth population, it is no doubt that their voice matters. In the past few years, there has been a huge rise in the involvement of students in politics. Time and again, we have seen how they have stood together to raise their voice against social injustices and have made a huge impact on policies affecting them, such as safety of women, reservation, academic freedom, etc. On the other hand, we have also witnessed incidents of rioting where students take the law into their own hands and disrupt daily affairs over a clash of political ideologies. It is therefore important to analyse the role of student unions. For these future leaders, student unions are the first step to understanding how a democracy works. But is the prime responsibility of student unions to look after the welfare of students or promote political ideologies?
Here are some of the different kinds of student unions in colleges in India and their functions. Read on to find out.
St Aloysius College, Kerala
For students in Kerala, strikes, road blocks and protests have become a regular affair. While most of it might seem disruptive to daily activities of people, Joel C, Chairman of St Aloysius College, believes it is essential. “In Kerala, politics is very different. We do not succumb to the authorities. We believe in democracy and that everyone has a right to their opinion,” he says.
The election process at the college is conducted as per the guidelines of the Lyngdoh committee. Two representatives from every class elect the members of the student union. The elections generally happen in the month of February. There are 14 members in the union, including the Chairman, Vice Chairman, General Secretary, Arts Club Secretary and two women representatives (reserved for women candidates).
The members are actively involved and consulted in all decisions of the college, for instance, fee determination. Apart from conducting a variety of literary and cultural events, the students unions also raise their concerns on environmental and social issues. This year, they conducted programmes such as tree planting to mark world environment day. They also did a campaign in support of the people of Gaza.
There are many issues that students face on a day-to-day basis. And giving voice to their concerns is what Joel and his team aim to do. “The issues students face are sometimes of very basic needs. For example, the bus concession. The government was not interested in giving concession to college students. So we held protests. Also, our college is surrounded by water. We need boats to get across. All our protests were in vain. We understood we can’t change it this way, so we directly approached the Chief Minister, Oomen Chandy. Within three hours, he gave orders to resolve our problem,” says Joel.
Another instance was when the roads surrounding their college were completely damaged after pipes were laid, and so buses stopped plying in the area. “We held protests and road blocks. Our MP Kodikunnil Suresh agreed to repair the roads and start plying buses again,” he adds.
The most important goal of student unions, according to Joel is to ‘strengthen democracy’. “Unions bring out the democratic spirit in students. There is a need for youngsters to enter politics. We all know the corruption in politics at present. We need a change in the quality of politicians and this can start from the college level,” he concludes.
Madras Christian College, Chennai
Always been popular for its long legacy and the liberty its students enjoy, the student union at MCC is definitely a crucial part of the administration. The Chairman and General Secretary of the student union are also members of the ‘Senatus’, the highest decision and policy making body of the college. The student union comprises a Students' Chairman, Students' Secretary and six other conveners (Cultural, Women's, Literary and Debating, Sports, and Amenities and Academics).
Some of the main responsibilities of the union include ensuring the welfare of students, equal opportunities and justice. “We stand up for students whenever they are denied justice and take up their case with the administration. We also strive to improve the academic excellence of the students, making way for intellectually weak students to cope and earn their degrees as well,” says Arun Bhaskar, Chairman of the College Union Society.
“Apart from these, we identify talented students at different fields and provide opportunities for them to exhibit their talents and take them to the next level,” he adds.
It has just been about three weeks since the new team has been sworn in. Nevertheless, they have already conducted activities like recycling PET bottles and creating a proper waste management system. Arun and his team believe that awareness is key to development. For example, they help students get all the possible scholarships and concessions available, both at the State and Central level. They have also started a newspaper reading activity during the last 10 minutes of class hours, hoping that students become more aware of the happenings in our society and pave way for further discussions and debates among themselves.
The College Union Society (CUS) has their own separate office where students have the liberty to walk in any time and voice their concerns directly. “We also plan to have a suggestion box in front of our office for those who don't want to reveal their identity but want to share their concerns.
Talking about their involvement in the larger society, Arun says, “I work with student groups of other colleges to find out the most practical way to include the whole student population for bigger causes such as the welfare of the country’s youth.
“Student Unions demonstrate how a real democracy works. It also motivates students to empower themselves and make future generations realise that everything (change) is possible if things are done in the right manner and everyone works together. It will motivate students to work for the betterment of society and people, in the future,” concludes Arun.
Delhi University
Being the capital city, Delhi, no doubt has seen active involvement of students in daily politics. The University of Delhi has laid the foundation for many of the top politicians of our country, such as Arun Jaitley, Kapil Sibal and Mayawati.
The election process at the University is a replica of the national election process. Most candidates are members of the student wing of Congress, BJP or AISA (All India Students Association, affiliated to the CPIM). The year 2014-15 saw members from the AAP student wing as well. The 52 colleges under Delhi University take part in these elections. Elections are held at the college level and University level on the same day, with every college/university electing four executive members – President, Vice President, Secretary and General Secretary.
According to Brijesh Yadav, President of the Student Union at DU, the aim of the union is to ensure good governance, resolve issues of the students and fight for any fundamental right that is not being granted. “If a student faces a probem, he/she can call me up. My number is on the website and I am always available to talk,” says Brijesh.
He recalls an incident last year when one of the students at Venkateswara College was denied admission because his best of four languages was Hindi. Although he had very good grades in English, his grades in Hindi were higher. The college denied admission on this basis, stating that he should have scored the highest marks in English to gain admission. “There was no such rule according to the eligibility criteria. So we went and discussed this with the authorities and managed to get the student admitted,” says Brijesh.
The union also looks into other issues like increase in fees and management of canteens. When asked what changes his team had brought about in college, he says, “The college has improved on the administration front, and water and fee issues have been resolved. We have also conducted tree plantation drives and blood donation camps.”
The student union of DU is not only involved in issues concerning the University, but also in matters of state and national interest. “Everyone is open to help. Whenever there is a situation where the support of youth is needed, we are ready to step in. Delhi has seen a lot of violence against women and this is one issue that we regularly fight for. We hold protests demanding the safety of women,” adds Brijesh. DU is also known for its equal representation of men and women, something that is uncommon in other universities.
For Brijesh, student unions ”bridge the gap” between the administration and students. “Everyone cannot approach the administration directly. Student unions understand the need of the students and are always available. It is necessary to ensure that the voices of students are heard,” He says.
University of Hyderabad
Vincent K Benny, the President of the Student Union at University of Hyderabad, believes students should be involved in decisions that affect them. “We are a democratic country. Every individual should have the right to voice their opinion on decisions that affect them, and that includes students,” he says.
Many of the students at UoH are affiliated to groups like the Ambedkar Students Association and SFI. Representing these groups, students take part in the elections for the University’s student union. There are six executive posts in the union. Candidates are elected by about 5,000 registered students. This year saw 80 per cent voter turnout, one of the strongest in recent years, showing the increased interest in democracy.
Vincent and his team have been responsible for a number of positive changes in the university. They initiated the Central Services Coaching Centre, which was implemented this year to train students effectively in competitive Central Services exams. They also conducted a job mela where about 150-200 students were placed.
“We get a lot of complaints related to the admission process and fees. We once had a meeting with the Union Ministry for Human resource Development regarding the Central Universities, where we voiced our demands such as increasing the fellowship grants for PhD scholars, and subsidy for commodities like rice and other basic amenities for students,” says Vincent.
“The government of Telangana had released a Social welfare Scheme, which was not implemented properly in universities, and students faced a lot of problems with respect to paying fees and getting admission. After our protests, we were able to resolve the issue and take the burden off the students,” he adds.
There is no caste divide, so to speak, in this student union, which has an active presence of Dalit students and those from other marginalised communities. Thus, UoH sets an example for others to emulate.
Osmania University, Telangana
It was in 1988 that the ban on student unions in state varsities in Andhra and Telangana(now) came into effect, after the brutal murder of a student leader for political reasons. The ban stayed on for 25 years. But post bifurcation, students and activists have been demanding a lift of the ban. While most argue that student unions are essential to give voice to their concerns, some fear the recurrence of untoward incidents.
“An elected body is good for the institution. I am open to elections. But there are a lot of problems involved. In spite of the ban, there are always political intrusions. There are so many political parties that try to get students involved. This creates a lot of problems for the administration. In my opinion, it is good to have a student union, it is even fine to have political ideologies; everyone has a different ideology. But it is dangerous to be involved or affiliated with political groups,” opines B Laxmiah, Dean of student affairs at Osmania University.
In most colleges, students voice their concerns through the elected student body. Although Laxmiah does not oppose the idea of having one, he believes it is possible to address the needs of students even without it. “In our University, students are always welcome to approach me or any other authority directly. If they have any issue or concern, they come up to us and we make sure we look into it. Yes, a student union is a welcome idea. But it is not impossible to function well without it,” he adds.
Student politics vs politicisation of student unions
While protecting the rights of students and ensuring their welfare sure is a good idea, the fact that a lot of student union activities have resulted in violence cannot be ignored. Political parties make use of students to promote their ideologies. “Universities and colleges have the right to elect student bodies, but any alignment with political parties is premature. I oppose it. Some students in Delhi University spend about 15 years as part of political groups, manage to get fake degrees, create a menace and go on to become corrupt leaders in the future,” says RK Misra, a prominent political analyst.
“Political parties use students to gain popularity, increase their votes and promote their agenda. Student unions are essential to find out deficiencies in the welfare of students and demand rights, but that should be their only responsibility,” he opines.
Misra believes that colleges and universities exist to impart knowledge and create intellectually, morally and socially upright citizens. “The sole purpose of entering colleges is to be educated. Students should use their time to study and gain knowledge, political affiliations are of no value to their development. There is nothing positive that comes out of it; agitations, dharnas and strikes are a mere waste of time, “ he says.
Mohan Varghese, a professor of the department of Political Science, Marthoma College, Kerala however, believes otherwise. He says, “I am very much for politically affiliated student unions. Things are are always decided at the political level. All decisions including those that affect the education sector are made by the government. Welfare of the students is the responsibility of the government. Hence it is important for political parties to have meaningful interaction with the students,” he says.
“Kerala has a high number of unaided institutions. In these institutions, there is always a problem of high capitation fee. Only because of students, the management is abiding by the rules. Student unions are the only corrective measure to such issues,” he adds.
While others argue that politically affiliated student unions affect the education of stduents, Prof Mohan believes that it is the outcome that matters “Take the case of JNU. Politics in JNU has only strengthened the institution. It has not ruined it. It is true that students miss a lot of classes. But look at the outcome. They are more socially active and have brought about more changes in society,” he points out.
When asked whether student unions could serve the purpose without politicisation, he argues, “It all depends on how you view politics. Our contry has come this far because there are different parties having different ideologies and everyone gets to voice their opinion.
– blessy@newindianexpress.com