The left-wing student organisations, Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Association (AISA), have come together for the first time to jointly contest the DUSU polls slated for September 27. Former JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, who had been a student at Delhi University too, and is currently the secretary of the SFI, in an interview with Ifrah Mufti, shares what left politics and the alliance could mean for the DU.
You have been a student of both Delhi University (DU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and have been a part of DUSU and JNUSU. What are the differences between the two student unions?
I was a student at Daulat Ram College from 2013-2016, after which I went ahead to join JNU. The stark difference that I found was that DU was not student-friendly. Nobody would be around to welcome you. The student organisations were very much there but I as a newcomer to the DU felt lost. But at the same time, when I joined the JNU, I was welcomed. Another major difference between JNUSU and DUSU is that the former organisation is usually seen on the roads and streets but the latter is usually seen in the SUVs.
There has been a left culture of politics in JNU for the longest time. Do you think that a similar culture can shape up in DU and bring a change?
It depends on how you define the left culture. If the left culture believes that the toxic culture of money and muscle politics needs to be replaced in order to bring meaningful reforms, especially for students, then I can confidently say that the left politics can definitely bring a change in the University. For example, we have been constantly talking about having metro passes for students and we tell the students that when the Hyderabad University students can have metro passes then why not DU?
All the student organisations talk about the fee hike every year. Why is the issue of fee hikes so significant even when the government keeps justifying it?
Let the government give a hundred reasons for it but our point remains the same and that is that the government cannot use education as a sector for a source of income. Education at least should not be a category from which the government can earn for themselves.
Since the left parties have decided to come together this year to fight the DUSU polls, are you open to an alliance with any other organisation and how will this SFI-AISA alliance impact the DUSU polls?
Yes, we are open to allying with any other organisation that is ready to fight against the muscle and money politics of DUSU. With this alliance (SFI-AISA) this year, we are expecting a good number of votes and even a seat as well in the DUSU. I am sure this alliance will have a positive impact on voting behaviour.
How do you see yourself growing further as an activist or leader of the students or somewhere in national politics?
Thanks to my fellow students who have politicised my individuality. I want to continue being an activist wishing to see a change. I believe JNU alone cannot change the world. We have to be together on all platforms. I am tired of watching that masculine power on the campuses and men going around glorifying their power.
