Students and Politics
English Essay on "Students and Politics"
Students’ main objective should be to study and not to get involved in politics. It is of course necessary for them to be aware of political developments. This can be done by arranging talks with eminent persons in different fields. However, their active involvement in politics is bound to harm their interests.
They ought to be kept away from the intrigues of politics. Over the years, students in college and, universities have begun to participate in politics both of the college and of the nation. In fact, the politics of colleges has now become the direct offshoot of the national politics. The political parties are keen on consolidating their base and preparing a second line of leadership. They have, therefore, started patronising different groups of students. There was a time, when the students union elections in colleges used to be confined to college issues. The college students fought the elections without any outside help, financial or other wise. But the scene has completely changed today. Huge amounts of money are spent in canvassing. The canvassing is done on the lines of parliamentary elections. Students get cards and posters and big cloth-banners printed. They obtain a list of addresses and visit the voter students at their residences in cars or jeep requesting them for their votes. On the election-day, loudspeakers are put up, exhorting voters to vote for a particular candidate. Influential students are taken to posh hotels and hill-resorts for entertainment to create vote-banks. For all this, money is liberally given by different political parties to their student-wings. In return, students openly display their party affiliations on top of their election posters. Also they lend their services to their respective patent political parties as and when needed.
The most important point to be considered is whether students should participate in politics. What is the price paid by them if they do get involved in politics? The objective of an army is to fight the enemy and defend the country’s territorial integrity. The purpose of the police force is to maintain law and order. The function of the political leadership is to govern the nation. What is the basic aim of a student? It is or at least should be to acquire knowledge, study and do well in various examinations. Once he is out of college, he can choose for himself any vocation, including politics. If students participate in politics, as they are doing nowadays, they, in the first place, are deflected from the main, purpose for which they are in educational institutions. They also render themselves vulnerable to the worst kid of exploitation by the politicians for their partisan ends. After all the enormous money which the political parties offer to the students is not for charity. They do exact a high price for it.
Students owing their allegiance to a particular party have to toe the party line, whether it is right or wrong. Once elected to the post of President of Secretary of the University or of a College Students’ Union, these students take their commands from the political bosses. They attend party meetings, and have to do a lot of party work. There is little time left for their studies. Besides, if their patron-party happens to be the party in opposition, they are directed to create trouble in the campus. And since these student leaders are in the grip of the political bosses, they go round arranging demonstrations on. petty unacademic issues. At times they resort to gheraos of the university officials, and indulge in acts of violence and destruction. Student wings of the party in power aim at keeping peace in the campus. They do so even if it means suppressing the legitimate demands of their fellow students. Furthermore, the two factions of the students — the leadership and the opposition are always at loggerheads, because they belong to two different political parties. Frequent clashes between groups of students lead to larger student crises and disrupt the student community at large.
A necessary but evil offshoot of the students’ participation in politics is in induction of the outside elements into college affairs. At the time of elections, and even afterwards, goodnas, criminals and thugs enter the campus and create an atmosphere of terror and insecurity among the students. Often one hears of beating up of an election candidate, even kidnappings arid stabbing of rival candidates. Gradually, the infiltration of anti-social elements into the ranks of students has become so complete that the student community is many times held to ransom by the dagger-wielding dadas.
Also politicking by students inside the educational institutions is an important contributing factor to the problem of indiscipline. Students’ Union leaders, drunk with their sense of importance, move about arrogantly. They frequently absent themselves from classes, behaving rudely with their teachers and setting a bad example for other students. Their cronies know that they will be protected and backed by student leaders. So they too indulge in acts of indiscipline. Thus, the whole academic atmosphere is polluted. The authorities are generally reluctant to have confrontation with the student leaders, for fear of prolonged strikes, demonstrations, slogan-shouting and much more. Politics is a subtle game meant for shrewd individuals. Involvement of students in politics at a tender age is undesirable. They are not mature enough to understand the implications of political moves and become ready victims of politicians. Once caught in the cross-currents of politics they are unable to extricate themselves from it. Consequently they spoil their academic performance and ruin their career for good. Awareness of politics, political parties, national issues, and national problems is essential for students. However, their involvement, is uncalled for and injurious to their interests. This awareness can be brought about by arranging seminars and discussions. Eminent statesmen, political leaders and luminaries in the field of journalism may be invited to deliver lectures to students. This will enlighten the students about the contemporary politics, without in any way endangering their interests adversely or affecting their studies. They will not be, when they come out of colleges, complete strangers to the political scene in the country. They will not find it difficult to adjust well with the prevailing political situations.
In a nutshell, students, if they are mindful of their interests, should keep away from active politics.
They ought to be kept away from the intrigues of politics. Over the years, students in college and, universities have begun to participate in politics both of the college and of the nation. In fact, the politics of colleges has now become the direct offshoot of the national politics. The political parties are keen on consolidating their base and preparing a second line of leadership. They have, therefore, started patronising different groups of students. There was a time, when the students union elections in colleges used to be confined to college issues. The college students fought the elections without any outside help, financial or other wise. But the scene has completely changed today. Huge amounts of money are spent in canvassing. The canvassing is done on the lines of parliamentary elections. Students get cards and posters and big cloth-banners printed. They obtain a list of addresses and visit the voter students at their residences in cars or jeep requesting them for their votes. On the election-day, loudspeakers are put up, exhorting voters to vote for a particular candidate. Influential students are taken to posh hotels and hill-resorts for entertainment to create vote-banks. For all this, money is liberally given by different political parties to their student-wings. In return, students openly display their party affiliations on top of their election posters. Also they lend their services to their respective patent political parties as and when needed.
The most important point to be considered is whether students should participate in politics. What is the price paid by them if they do get involved in politics? The objective of an army is to fight the enemy and defend the country’s territorial integrity. The purpose of the police force is to maintain law and order. The function of the political leadership is to govern the nation. What is the basic aim of a student? It is or at least should be to acquire knowledge, study and do well in various examinations. Once he is out of college, he can choose for himself any vocation, including politics. If students participate in politics, as they are doing nowadays, they, in the first place, are deflected from the main, purpose for which they are in educational institutions. They also render themselves vulnerable to the worst kid of exploitation by the politicians for their partisan ends. After all the enormous money which the political parties offer to the students is not for charity. They do exact a high price for it.
Students owing their allegiance to a particular party have to toe the party line, whether it is right or wrong. Once elected to the post of President of Secretary of the University or of a College Students’ Union, these students take their commands from the political bosses. They attend party meetings, and have to do a lot of party work. There is little time left for their studies. Besides, if their patron-party happens to be the party in opposition, they are directed to create trouble in the campus. And since these student leaders are in the grip of the political bosses, they go round arranging demonstrations on. petty unacademic issues. At times they resort to gheraos of the university officials, and indulge in acts of violence and destruction. Student wings of the party in power aim at keeping peace in the campus. They do so even if it means suppressing the legitimate demands of their fellow students. Furthermore, the two factions of the students — the leadership and the opposition are always at loggerheads, because they belong to two different political parties. Frequent clashes between groups of students lead to larger student crises and disrupt the student community at large.
A necessary but evil offshoot of the students’ participation in politics is in induction of the outside elements into college affairs. At the time of elections, and even afterwards, goodnas, criminals and thugs enter the campus and create an atmosphere of terror and insecurity among the students. Often one hears of beating up of an election candidate, even kidnappings arid stabbing of rival candidates. Gradually, the infiltration of anti-social elements into the ranks of students has become so complete that the student community is many times held to ransom by the dagger-wielding dadas.
Also politicking by students inside the educational institutions is an important contributing factor to the problem of indiscipline. Students’ Union leaders, drunk with their sense of importance, move about arrogantly. They frequently absent themselves from classes, behaving rudely with their teachers and setting a bad example for other students. Their cronies know that they will be protected and backed by student leaders. So they too indulge in acts of indiscipline. Thus, the whole academic atmosphere is polluted. The authorities are generally reluctant to have confrontation with the student leaders, for fear of prolonged strikes, demonstrations, slogan-shouting and much more. Politics is a subtle game meant for shrewd individuals. Involvement of students in politics at a tender age is undesirable. They are not mature enough to understand the implications of political moves and become ready victims of politicians. Once caught in the cross-currents of politics they are unable to extricate themselves from it. Consequently they spoil their academic performance and ruin their career for good. Awareness of politics, political parties, national issues, and national problems is essential for students. However, their involvement, is uncalled for and injurious to their interests. This awareness can be brought about by arranging seminars and discussions. Eminent statesmen, political leaders and luminaries in the field of journalism may be invited to deliver lectures to students. This will enlighten the students about the contemporary politics, without in any way endangering their interests adversely or affecting their studies. They will not be, when they come out of colleges, complete strangers to the political scene in the country. They will not find it difficult to adjust well with the prevailing political situations.
In a nutshell, students, if they are mindful of their interests, should keep away from active politics.
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