The old-school theories on saffronisation, nationalism and Tiranga have to be given up as future calls for newer and revised visions for the nation.

Be it before or after independence, India has always had perpetual conflicts on the integration of the people who differ socially, politically and also economically. People brood over the fact that untouchability should be abolished from the society without realising that one economically backward person automatically becomes vulnerable to acts equivalent to untouchability. The conception that political security over economic security is more important in a country, has what been a degrading agent among the masses of India. ‘Masses of India’ has been particularly used because they are the ones who choose their representatives in this democratic nation who comprise of people wishing for economic development after political constancy.

All year round, the conflicts and battles are enshrouded, but as the time for elections approach, upheaval of protests, marches and rallies take place creating mass hysteria, calling for supporters. And now, colleges have become proxy battlefields for the political parties where students are used as pawns to wage wars for their leaders. So basically, it is a battle between these elephants and expectedly, the students are the ones to always get trampled upon. Student politics should mainly focus on their rights but instead, they are manipulated by politicians of all parties to fight the fights of their political masters. While becoming a part of a student body one is immediately confined to the messy system where they are forced to adopt an identity that may not be comfortable to live with. After that, the identity or rather, the label will guide their actions and ideology. Most students want to stay away from politics but they are sucked into politics whether they like it or not when they are disturbed by all the agitations around them but they are absolutely powerless. The politically active students have ‘Power’. The silent majority of students who just want to focus on their education and career are hijacked by the political minority who call the shots. Unlike the education institutions in the world where hooliganism in the institutional premises can lead to rustication, in India if you indulge in violence on the goading of your political masters, you know they will save you when you are in trouble. This, in effect, gives a free licence to indulge in violence. Thus, we have far more cases of vandalism, deaths and general indiscipline. People are thankful for the years they spent as students but when political parties come into the picture, it just generates a kind of uncomfortable discourse in the life of an Indian student. Like an offline version of the news hour debates, the student political leaders try to justify their vandalism, and their parties leading to one confrontation after another, non-stop, accusing each other of the issues going around. College heads are scared to act owing to political interference. Professors are wary of doing anything radically different and will take the beaten path. Agitations overshadow studies. Man hours are lost as a result of umpteen strikes, debates and confrontations.

Our educational institutions have become extremely inefficient owing to the type of student politics that is practised. This is a dark side of the appreciated Indian education system, which is indeed shameful. The call of the hour is to bar the interference of politics into the education system. The educated youth can make its own decisions that can be the perfect blend of social, political and economic benefits for the future. Instead of making the students their pawns to wins elections, new set of nationalist ideas could be injected among the Indian youth that totally vary from Saffronisation, Ban on Beef, Tiranga and of course the never ending wars and strikes. Let not unstable politics overshadow our economic backwardness. Let the nation move forth to economic stability and intellectual prosperity.

Image credits: indianyouth.net

Radhika Boruah

radhikab@dubeat.com