Looking towards any successful democracy, we see student unions and student politics to have always played an active role in countering the hegemonic culture of politics that is often prevalent and propagated by the ruling elite. A gateway for students into politics perhaps, or to at least acquire some political acumen and understanding. Pakistan, just like the rest of the subcontinent has been a victim of dynastic politics, starting even before 1947, with the Muslim League majorly being made up of Nawabs and princes of various states. Yet the Muslim League was the first to lay the foundations with the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) as Pakistan’s first student political wing. This goes to show the foreshadowing early leaders had, which unfortunately is scarce today, with no major political party talking of or addressing student politics despite almost all of them containing relevant promises in their manifestos.
The reason behind this silence is quite sinister. Student politics and student political wings actually create real politicians: people who are not born into political families and actually promote fair and equal democracy. A research conducted by the current Vice Chancellor of LUMS, in 2008 concluded that 55% of national assembly members from Punjab belonged to Political families. Though all parties wish to appease the youth, none of them can grant them any actual authority without uprooting most of their leadership. Historical evidence backs up this correlation. Prior to the 1984 ban on student unions by General Zia, there were very few politicians in leadership who represented political backgrounds, all thanks to the organic rise that student politics facilitated. Benazir Bhutto’s Attempt to unban student unions also failed, with a 1993 supreme court verdict detailing that every student taking admission into university must sign an affidavit stating they “will have no indulgence in politics’ ‘.
A major misconception is between organizations and unions, unions being democratically elected, and organizations operating on whatever structure they may choose. Organizations rather than unions are largely responsible for the violence associated with student politics, which in reality erupted after the ban in 1984. Since then Pakistan has seen a famine in terms of sincere and passionate politicians, with people of such competence shying away from politics, and “electables” ruling the assemblies.
IBRAHIM AHMED LODHI
LAHORE
