M Masud Hossain Khan
I think it is high time for us to ban student politics and teachers’ involvement in politics. It is the bane of our beloved nation now. I know there exist lots of arguments and there’s no want of people, intellectuals and civil society members stand in favour of student politics. Most of their line of reasoning is based on the contribution of our students to different national movements – Language Movement, Liberation Movement and movement against autocracy. The nation always remembers with pride the contribution students of this land made to these movements and to our nation building efforts. But shouldn’t we think on the issue in the present perspective - where the student politics is heading to and what contributions are they making now to this country and her wretched people? Are they not working for the vested interest groups playing pawns on the hands of the politicians and many students leaders are after making their fortunes through whatever ways and means they can? There are lots of news reports on how student leaders are involved in tender business and fighting with each other to have control over the dormitories making the general students captive in their evil hands.
The question we should raise: is the student politics doing any good to the countrymen and even themselves at present and do we need it for our future development? May be the answer is yes for a few leaders, not even the common students let alone the citizens. It is now very much clear that students politics are not doing any good to our society any more rather it is harming our society and the students themselves but helps benefit our rogue politicians for whom we haven’t progressed that much what we should have by this time. For students leaders, common students are not getting their due rights and access to different facilities e.g. it’s not that easy for a non-political students to have a seat in the university dormitories; they are terrorized by the leaders and afraid of them always. We have not forgot the killing of innocent students like Sabequnnahar Sony in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology campus a few years back. Because of fighting with arms and weapons among different wings of students parties many lives have not been able to reach their fulfillment and the dreams of their parents have gone astray and sometimes their parents’ lives were at a stake due to unending pain and owes of losing their beloved offspring. We have got a strange jargon in the education sector and in our national life as well i.e. session jam which you can’t find in any other country of the world I think. This is the fruit of the tree called Student Politics, which we have sown and nurtured and helped to grow poisonous fruits.
But I am in favour of students union in the educational institutions without involvement in national politics or working as wing of political parties. These unions will only care about students and institutions welfare and organize different co-curricula activities which will ultimately help the students, institutions and the society at large. They can engage themselves in different social needs like standing by the side of the flood affected people of the country.
To make a clear vision for our progress we may look at how other democratic and progressive countries and societies are doing with student politics. Are the students directly involved in national politics becoming members of political organizations affiliated with national political parties in those countries? Even we can look at the private universities in this country. If it is good and helps better grooming of our children why shouldn’t we commence student politics in those?
About keeping law enforcement agencies stationed in the university campuses, I would say it is necessary in our present political practices but it won’t be needed any more if we are able to discard direct political campaign involving students and teachers inside the institutions academia. Can’t we see that there’s no police force in the private universities. It is because political campaign is prohibited in those places. There’s always high possibility of clashes in the campus among the rival political parties and/or groups if students are permitted to do politics inside the educational institutions.
What about the teachers’ involvement in politics? Is it helping to our society and the institutions they are engaged with? It is also helping corruption and nepotism for sure. To be a teacher in any public university you need to be affiliated with political parties or at least support their agenda and have good relations with the political high ups with or without required qualifications. This is the product of teachers’ involvement in national politics. To be aware and making students aware in politics and be a member or devoted oneself to any political party is another thing. We are going to see another example soon how teachers and students engagement in national politics is helping this wretched country if the recent spate in the universities, colleges and the country as a whole be proved.
I think it is high time for us to ban student politics and teachers’ involvement in politics. It is the bane of our beloved nation now. I know there exist lots of arguments and there’s no want of people, intellectuals and civil society members stand in favour of student politics. Most of their line of reasoning is based on the contribution of our students to different national movements – Language Movement, Liberation Movement and movement against autocracy. The nation always remembers with pride the contribution students of this land made to these movements and to our nation building efforts. But shouldn’t we think on the issue in the present perspective - where the student politics is heading to and what contributions are they making now to this country and her wretched people? Are they not working for the vested interest groups playing pawns on the hands of the politicians and many students leaders are after making their fortunes through whatever ways and means they can? There are lots of news reports on how student leaders are involved in tender business and fighting with each other to have control over the dormitories making the general students captive in their evil hands.
The question we should raise: is the student politics doing any good to the countrymen and even themselves at present and do we need it for our future development? May be the answer is yes for a few leaders, not even the common students let alone the citizens. It is now very much clear that students politics are not doing any good to our society any more rather it is harming our society and the students themselves but helps benefit our rogue politicians for whom we haven’t progressed that much what we should have by this time. For students leaders, common students are not getting their due rights and access to different facilities e.g. it’s not that easy for a non-political students to have a seat in the university dormitories; they are terrorized by the leaders and afraid of them always. We have not forgot the killing of innocent students like Sabequnnahar Sony in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology campus a few years back. Because of fighting with arms and weapons among different wings of students parties many lives have not been able to reach their fulfillment and the dreams of their parents have gone astray and sometimes their parents’ lives were at a stake due to unending pain and owes of losing their beloved offspring. We have got a strange jargon in the education sector and in our national life as well i.e. session jam which you can’t find in any other country of the world I think. This is the fruit of the tree called Student Politics, which we have sown and nurtured and helped to grow poisonous fruits.
But I am in favour of students union in the educational institutions without involvement in national politics or working as wing of political parties. These unions will only care about students and institutions welfare and organize different co-curricula activities which will ultimately help the students, institutions and the society at large. They can engage themselves in different social needs like standing by the side of the flood affected people of the country.
To make a clear vision for our progress we may look at how other democratic and progressive countries and societies are doing with student politics. Are the students directly involved in national politics becoming members of political organizations affiliated with national political parties in those countries? Even we can look at the private universities in this country. If it is good and helps better grooming of our children why shouldn’t we commence student politics in those?
About keeping law enforcement agencies stationed in the university campuses, I would say it is necessary in our present political practices but it won’t be needed any more if we are able to discard direct political campaign involving students and teachers inside the institutions academia. Can’t we see that there’s no police force in the private universities. It is because political campaign is prohibited in those places. There’s always high possibility of clashes in the campus among the rival political parties and/or groups if students are permitted to do politics inside the educational institutions.
What about the teachers’ involvement in politics? Is it helping to our society and the institutions they are engaged with? It is also helping corruption and nepotism for sure. To be a teacher in any public university you need to be affiliated with political parties or at least support their agenda and have good relations with the political high ups with or without required qualifications. This is the product of teachers’ involvement in national politics. To be aware and making students aware in politics and be a member or devoted oneself to any political party is another thing. We are going to see another example soon how teachers and students engagement in national politics is helping this wretched country if the recent spate in the universities, colleges and the country as a whole be proved.
The author is a development consultant, writer, columnist and the Editor of the StarAvis. He may be contacted at masud.magister@gmail.com
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