Time to catch the bull by the horn
Friday, 22 January 2010
Shamsher Chowdhury
IT was during 1963/64 I was then doing my Masters at the University of Karachi. About that time I met some of the Ayub Regime's student cadres under the banner of a student body known as NSF (National Students Federation). Saner elements of the society and the larger section of students were highly opposed to its activities right from the start. Today, despite the fact that Pakistan is in its worst crisis ever threatening its very existence, it does not suffer from the so-called student politics in its educational institutions in such an acute form like we do here in Bangladesh since we gained our independence.
The situation has turned so bad that whenever people find a gathering of students in unusual numbers in front or around the lanes and by-lanes encircling an educational institution, particularly surrounding some public universities, people consciously avoid the area for fear of being vandalized, their cars being burnt or being a victim of mob violence of the worst kind.
During those days of the Ayub Regime students belonging to NSF were armed with hockey sticks and at best what in local language is called a 'Chapati'. Now nearly five decades after we see rattling of guns of automatic weapons. I find it rather paradoxical that at a time when we are high on our successes including some revolutionary changes in our educational systems to put it mildly all this mayhem, most notably by the ruling party's student wing, to say the least, is debilitating, shocking and most unfortunate. Can you imagine, things have come to such a pass only the other day a University teacher was beaten by an unruly group of students. It is interesting to note here that the scenario is diametrically the opposite in private universities: there is no such thing as student politics.
I am aware of the glorious past of our student community and their contributions to all progressive movements in the country over time including our war of liberation. Be that as it may, all that by now has been negated by their acts under tacit support of both the ruling party and the opposition. I am not against politics.
By nature in some way or the other, we are all political animals. As a matter of fact a kind a level of orientation in politics is necessary for the good of the nation amongst all stages of the society enabling people to understand and interpret the workings of a democratically elected government. In late July of this year, I wrote an article in the columns of this very daily calling for banning of student wings of our political parties. In that column I quoted G. K. Chesterton having said as early as 1926, I quote, "Education is simply the soul of the society as it passes from one generation to the other" unquote.
Legacy aside, government of the time has totally failed in taming down the ever-growing violent character of its student cadres. Time for empty slogans and stern warnings are long over. We need to see some real actions on the ground in a comprehensive way. Let both the political parties call for an end to its student carders of their respective parties. I do realize that given the prevailing political culture of the country, it may be easier said than done. However, it is my strongest belief that if it is possible on the part of the private universities and colleges to keep their campuses free from political pollution, it should also be possible in the educational campuses of the public sector.
This business of the students being involved in partisan politics embedded as it is would require more than the political parties to come up with their bit of commitments.
With student politics is also linked the involvement of teachers in partisan politics. It is thus imperative that the whole matter of "politics" and politicking in the educational institutions be dealt with, in a comprehensive way. It also has to be a concerted effort involving members of the civil society and the intellectual community.
Trust me if such indiscipline is allowed to continue in our educational institutions, the future of our nation, to say the least, is bleak.
I do not know if anyone is keeping track of the ever rising state of brain- drain from the country. I can say of my own family, that over 20 young men and women of the second and third generation of my extended family are now in different states of Europe and America, studying and working as qualified professionals.
Already we are experiencing a serious dearth of academically sound individuals for recruitment in the various cadres of services like the semi- government, civil and the Armed Forces etc. God alone knows as to what is there in store for our future generation.
One can easily see that more and more bright people are getting into private service as offered by multinational companies including private banks and several international IT companies. This has adversely resulted in weakening the professional capacity of our bureaucracy in particular including other key institutions of the administration.
To some, what I have elucidated in the foregoing may appear to be overstated but trust me this how it is. I sincerely hope that the ruling party realizes that its student wing is slowly turning out to be the Frankenstein and the Achilles' heel, both at the same time.
It is indeed high time to catch the bull by the horn.
The writer can be reached
at e-mail:
chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com
IT was during 1963/64 I was then doing my Masters at the University of Karachi. About that time I met some of the Ayub Regime's student cadres under the banner of a student body known as NSF (National Students Federation). Saner elements of the society and the larger section of students were highly opposed to its activities right from the start. Today, despite the fact that Pakistan is in its worst crisis ever threatening its very existence, it does not suffer from the so-called student politics in its educational institutions in such an acute form like we do here in Bangladesh since we gained our independence.
The situation has turned so bad that whenever people find a gathering of students in unusual numbers in front or around the lanes and by-lanes encircling an educational institution, particularly surrounding some public universities, people consciously avoid the area for fear of being vandalized, their cars being burnt or being a victim of mob violence of the worst kind.
During those days of the Ayub Regime students belonging to NSF were armed with hockey sticks and at best what in local language is called a 'Chapati'. Now nearly five decades after we see rattling of guns of automatic weapons. I find it rather paradoxical that at a time when we are high on our successes including some revolutionary changes in our educational systems to put it mildly all this mayhem, most notably by the ruling party's student wing, to say the least, is debilitating, shocking and most unfortunate. Can you imagine, things have come to such a pass only the other day a University teacher was beaten by an unruly group of students. It is interesting to note here that the scenario is diametrically the opposite in private universities: there is no such thing as student politics.
I am aware of the glorious past of our student community and their contributions to all progressive movements in the country over time including our war of liberation. Be that as it may, all that by now has been negated by their acts under tacit support of both the ruling party and the opposition. I am not against politics.
By nature in some way or the other, we are all political animals. As a matter of fact a kind a level of orientation in politics is necessary for the good of the nation amongst all stages of the society enabling people to understand and interpret the workings of a democratically elected government. In late July of this year, I wrote an article in the columns of this very daily calling for banning of student wings of our political parties. In that column I quoted G. K. Chesterton having said as early as 1926, I quote, "Education is simply the soul of the society as it passes from one generation to the other" unquote.
Legacy aside, government of the time has totally failed in taming down the ever-growing violent character of its student cadres. Time for empty slogans and stern warnings are long over. We need to see some real actions on the ground in a comprehensive way. Let both the political parties call for an end to its student carders of their respective parties. I do realize that given the prevailing political culture of the country, it may be easier said than done. However, it is my strongest belief that if it is possible on the part of the private universities and colleges to keep their campuses free from political pollution, it should also be possible in the educational campuses of the public sector.
This business of the students being involved in partisan politics embedded as it is would require more than the political parties to come up with their bit of commitments.
With student politics is also linked the involvement of teachers in partisan politics. It is thus imperative that the whole matter of "politics" and politicking in the educational institutions be dealt with, in a comprehensive way. It also has to be a concerted effort involving members of the civil society and the intellectual community.
Trust me if such indiscipline is allowed to continue in our educational institutions, the future of our nation, to say the least, is bleak.
I do not know if anyone is keeping track of the ever rising state of brain- drain from the country. I can say of my own family, that over 20 young men and women of the second and third generation of my extended family are now in different states of Europe and America, studying and working as qualified professionals.
Already we are experiencing a serious dearth of academically sound individuals for recruitment in the various cadres of services like the semi- government, civil and the Armed Forces etc. God alone knows as to what is there in store for our future generation.
One can easily see that more and more bright people are getting into private service as offered by multinational companies including private banks and several international IT companies. This has adversely resulted in weakening the professional capacity of our bureaucracy in particular including other key institutions of the administration.
To some, what I have elucidated in the foregoing may appear to be overstated but trust me this how it is. I sincerely hope that the ruling party realizes that its student wing is slowly turning out to be the Frankenstein and the Achilles' heel, both at the same time.
It is indeed high time to catch the bull by the horn.
The writer can be reached
at e-mail:
chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com