Needed healthy student politics
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Himadri Rahman
A leader of the Bangladesh Chhatra Moitree died the other day at the hands of the Bangladesh Chhatra League activists on the campus of Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute.
Campus politics, as it has been for years, is disliked by most people in the country. Since the 1980s hundreds of students have lost their lives because of campus politics. This is the last thing society expects from the students.
There is no parent who wants his or her children to get into politics and die as a consequence. They never deserve to see their children covered by the white shroud of death. A child has to cheat his or her parents to get involved in 'nasty politics'. Parents obviously send their children to a university or college to gather knowledge and become useful citizens. They undergo unbearable suffering when their beloved children die because of student politics.
A child can never appreciate the feelings of the parents until he or she becomes a parent. But, it is then too late to rectify the mistakes.
How students get involved in politics, neglecting studies, calls for serious discussion.
On the first day in the university, the first problem a fresher faces is getting a room in the dormitory. The student leaders, who control the rooms, find it easy to allure the new-comers to their brand of political activities. The new comers have to attend all the activities, meetings and processions of the student organisation to keep his dormitory seat safe. A number of my friends had to drop sessions due to lack of preparation. I saw students joining processions forgetting their year-final exams. And once in politics they find no way to quit. Surrounded by 'political friends' they remain busy with the activities of student organisation they belong to.
Muscle power has become a byproduct of student politics. In the dormitories 'political friends' provide the activists of the student organisations security against possible attack from their rival parties. The activism results in bringing a sharp change in the behaviour of these students. Common students begin to fear and avoid them. No one dare protest their comments or activities. And thus, vengeful politics becomes their full-time pre-occupation.
Once a fresher becomes a cadre or activist of a particular student organisation he or she gets preferential treatment. Getting a civil service job or money making becomes easier. It is ironic that some of them continue with student politics till late in life when they are, say, 40 and have children. They are still called 'students' and leaders of student organisations!
Some get killed in feuds with rivals or even in infighting. Some become invalid. And yet some are upgraded and find a berth in the parent political party. Some get nomination to become Members of Parliament.
As university students, the activists spend more time in processions, even if they have to skip examinations. On the campus they avoid paying the bills. They do not hesitate to beat an innocent student or disturb female students. How can the 'future leaders' do all this? What can the nation expect from them? Is this what their parents want from them?
The question is: why and how did student politics come to this shape? No one is there to answer why student politics should continue in this fashion. Politics cannot be so totally mindless. Politics has a noble objective. It calls for commitments. Politics that lacks vision and serves only self-interest can do no good to the nation.
The first and foremost duty of a student is to pursue his or her studies, utilising his or her time to gather knowledge. A student should take a positive interest in national politics, but not to become a purposeless activist.
Deaths of student in clashes between student organisations, diminish campus life. Student politics ought to concentrate on campus issues. The noble tradition of student politics should be revived.
(The writer is a student of Dhaka University)
A leader of the Bangladesh Chhatra Moitree died the other day at the hands of the Bangladesh Chhatra League activists on the campus of Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute.
Campus politics, as it has been for years, is disliked by most people in the country. Since the 1980s hundreds of students have lost their lives because of campus politics. This is the last thing society expects from the students.
There is no parent who wants his or her children to get into politics and die as a consequence. They never deserve to see their children covered by the white shroud of death. A child has to cheat his or her parents to get involved in 'nasty politics'. Parents obviously send their children to a university or college to gather knowledge and become useful citizens. They undergo unbearable suffering when their beloved children die because of student politics.
A child can never appreciate the feelings of the parents until he or she becomes a parent. But, it is then too late to rectify the mistakes.
How students get involved in politics, neglecting studies, calls for serious discussion.
On the first day in the university, the first problem a fresher faces is getting a room in the dormitory. The student leaders, who control the rooms, find it easy to allure the new-comers to their brand of political activities. The new comers have to attend all the activities, meetings and processions of the student organisation to keep his dormitory seat safe. A number of my friends had to drop sessions due to lack of preparation. I saw students joining processions forgetting their year-final exams. And once in politics they find no way to quit. Surrounded by 'political friends' they remain busy with the activities of student organisation they belong to.
Muscle power has become a byproduct of student politics. In the dormitories 'political friends' provide the activists of the student organisations security against possible attack from their rival parties. The activism results in bringing a sharp change in the behaviour of these students. Common students begin to fear and avoid them. No one dare protest their comments or activities. And thus, vengeful politics becomes their full-time pre-occupation.
Once a fresher becomes a cadre or activist of a particular student organisation he or she gets preferential treatment. Getting a civil service job or money making becomes easier. It is ironic that some of them continue with student politics till late in life when they are, say, 40 and have children. They are still called 'students' and leaders of student organisations!
Some get killed in feuds with rivals or even in infighting. Some become invalid. And yet some are upgraded and find a berth in the parent political party. Some get nomination to become Members of Parliament.
As university students, the activists spend more time in processions, even if they have to skip examinations. On the campus they avoid paying the bills. They do not hesitate to beat an innocent student or disturb female students. How can the 'future leaders' do all this? What can the nation expect from them? Is this what their parents want from them?
The question is: why and how did student politics come to this shape? No one is there to answer why student politics should continue in this fashion. Politics cannot be so totally mindless. Politics has a noble objective. It calls for commitments. Politics that lacks vision and serves only self-interest can do no good to the nation.
The first and foremost duty of a student is to pursue his or her studies, utilising his or her time to gather knowledge. A student should take a positive interest in national politics, but not to become a purposeless activist.
Deaths of student in clashes between student organisations, diminish campus life. Student politics ought to concentrate on campus issues. The noble tradition of student politics should be revived.
(The writer is a student of Dhaka University)