Impact Of Student Unions On Politics

Democracy is all about a system of checks and balances. It is perceived to be one of the best forms of governing, as it has efficient methods of power sharing. Student bodies, if working properly, can lead to a platform that will allow students to express their beliefs in an open platform. Student unions give a voice to all students and using this platform can change one’s fate.

There is often a belief that people attending universities are not involved in any political activities as it may be perceived that the educational institution may be facilitating this behaviour. In India, there is always a lot of focus placed on political spaces. In India, the concept of student organisations is not new.

The youth community acted as the backbone of the Indian struggle for Independence. Various campaigns launched by leaders at the time were carried out by student-led groups. Gandhi also urged all students to actively take part in the Independence struggles as a form of showing dissent against the British. However, after Independence, the student organisations did not have a common cause to work towards and student organisations became fragmented.

Student Unions And Indian Economy

Sometime in the 1970s, there was an ideological shift in the student movement. Three wars (1962, 1965, 1971) and other factors weakened the Indian economy. Combined with the general dissatisfaction caused by the increasingly socialist parliamentary government, the political atmosphere at the time was boiling with dissatisfaction.

Since the early 2000s, as the country’s political scenario has changed, right-wing groups have gradually influenced left-wing strongholds across the country, such as the JNU, Jadapur, and the Presidential College, with the DU holding the ABVP in power for several years. I came.

Universities across the country are witnessing a growing demonization of student leaders and groups whose policies run counter to the ruling party. The terms “deshdrohi” and “anti-national” are becoming increasingly common among students who do not support the government.

Conflicts between unions are not usually seen as the result of a disagreement or ideological disagreement, but rather ” presented as the difference between the ‘nationalist’ and ‘rebel’ perspectives. When an opposing group is treated as a traitor, their political stance is immediately deemed inappropriate. Objections are hard to deal with, but dismissing them is very easy. This nullification tactic weakens resistance and dissent against the government or current university/university union officials.

Student politics is often labelled as violent, dirty, and sometimes even worse than mainstream politics. It can affect academic performance and, as it becomes increasingly defamatory, tarnish a student’s prospects. Mainstream companies don’t want to hire people who appear in newspapers and on television and are labelled as “anti-national.”

The year 2019 India was shaken by one of the government’s most controversial policies.

Citizenship Amendment Act. Students from several universities across the country, Jamia Millia Islamia, University of Delhi, Aligarh Muslim University and JNU, rose to protest the law. After Jamia Millia Islamia and his violence and police brutality at AMU, protests increased and universities not known for being politically active, such as IIT and IIM, began to show solidarity. The movement has grown, with more than 100 universities protesting across India despite government action.

Student protesters lead Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement while falling victim to state repression and police violence. In the face of tear gas and rubber bullets, Hong Kong students have turned their university into a fortress, showing an incredible level of support for each other. The Hong Kong move has been underway for months, with media propaganda from both China and the West increasing.

Across the globe, students are becoming the face of causes as diverse as gun reform, LGBTQ+ rights, education reform, climate change, and national pro-democracy movements. Student policies are not limited to high schools or college campuses.

These movements have repercussions at the national and global levels. The growing importance of students in politics shows that politics is not just an adult arena. Students, who make up a large portion of the population, deserve to participate in political decision-making because they are one of the most important stakeholders in political decision-making.

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