Politics in Campus
Issue of whether students should get involved in politics or not has been a subject of debate. The recent events of murder of a professor by politically active students at Indore, killings and shoot outs in many a other university campus has again raked up the issue. The student politics unfortunately has degenerated into gang wars, ugly show of money and muscle power and suffocation of academic exercises. It is a matter of grave concern. At the same time, it is also true that student politics has given us freedom fighters and great leaders to serve the country.
So, there are advocates and detractors both of student participation in politics and politics in universities. Some politicians, teachers and students are of the view that students must become part of the politics. After all, politics is a very important activity of the national life. It is the soul of the democracy. Political guidance leads the nation into future. They think that the involvement of students in party and campus politics will groom future political leaders. Why shouldn’t the education system produce thoroughbred politicians just like doctors, engineers, scholars, artists and other professional it does? The education is not only acquiring literacy but all round development. Participation in active politics leads to all round development of an individual student. It is the best way of learning public relations. A politically active student becomes street smart and he is alive to the happenings in the world, country and around. Politics sharpens up one’s debating skills. Involvement in politics does not let a student remains merely a book worm. It teaches him the leadership qualities and makes him aggressive, dominating and an alert young man ready to face the challenges of the life after college. He also becomes a good citizen, cultured human being and a responsible person. The qualities of Courage, sincerity of purpose, the spirit of sacrifice, self-discipline and devotion to duty also get instilled in him.
Unfortunately, what we see today is just the opposite. Dirty politics is turning students into indiscipline hooligans. Responsibility is an alien quality. And this fact strengthens the arguments of the detractors who don’t want students to meddle in politics. The political parties are creating groups and gangs among the students. The college or university elections appear more like gang wars. Money and muscle power provided by the patron political parties are all over. Aged proteges of parties reside in hostels masquerading as students. Armed gangs of student’s roam in many a campus. The cut throat rivalries spoil the academic atmosphere of the colleges. The normal students who are only interested in studies feel threatened and upset. They are forced to join strikes, processions and demonstrations on non-issues. Often there is violence and the police is called in to intervene. Such ugly situations result in huge loss of study time. Innocent students suffer.
Thus, we see that politics in campus has two sides. On one hand it is doing a great harm to the academic atmosphere of the colleges. And on the other hand it is inculcating some good qualities in the students. In conclusion I feel that a normal student must tread the middle path. Students should not involve themselves too deeply in politics at the cost of studies. But there is no hum in learning good points from politics.
