Student Elections: An Ugly Battleground?

I happen to have studied in three different government universities, and so have the unfortunate opportunity of witnessing student elections in all three of them. They are nothing but an absolute waste of time and money. Their outcomes hardly affect any student. Student elections are no more than the same recurring ugly story with different actors every year.

Each year, as the student elections approach, news of altercations among students turns up. During the election season, seldom is a day when information of fights among different student bodies does not appear in any news broadcast or newspaper. With each passing year, incidents of confrontations are increasing.

Casualties as a result of violent clashes which are often accompanied by the use of canes and sticks, and infrequently with knives and daggers are reported every year. Stone pelting amongst student organizations has become a common affair. Once in a while, bullet firing episodes are also registered. In 2013, a case of bombing by the members of a student wing, who I suppose must have considered themselves descendants of some great warriors, in Uttar Pradesh had shocked the whole country. This situation is not limited to any particular state or university but has become a generic problem throughout India.

Wherever there are elections, there are clashes because this is a fight for prestige. For the very reason, every political party in our country has established its divisions amongst the students. To begin with, no elections whatsoever should ever be conducted in any college or university. If students have any demands, those ought to be fulfilled by the government. If educational institutions are facing a shortage of staff then it is the responsibility of the government to mend the matters, there is no need for a separate student body to notify the authorities for that. The Vice-Chancellors and Principals appointed by the government must pay attention to any kind of deficit that exists and take appropriate actions to resolve the same. The officials must try to find out the solution to the issues that are plaguing the students. If they find themselves handicapped to resolve any issue then they must inform the government of the same.

Elections in the educational institutions have terribly affected their environment. The institutions which should be blossoming with the aroma of knowledge are reeking with jealousy, bias, and animosity. Many precious lives are being wasted in these elections. A few years ago, a professor at a university in Madhya Pradesh lost his life during the election turmoil. What crime had he committed to get victimized to the dirty game of political factions? It is from these very educational institutions that we get abled citizens who take the country forward. The kids of today are the successors of tomorrow. If they will keep themselves immersed in such futile matters, when will they study?

In October 2016, Allahabad University witnessed violence after the declaration of students' union poll results. Bombs were hurled!

All parents expect that their children will find good jobs after the completion of their education. They leave no stone unturned and sweat blood to make sure that their children are not deprived of any facilities. Some even take loans to fulfill the necessities of their kids with high hopes that their child would one day become abled enough to repay the loans. But when their child turns out to be a thug, criminal, murderer, or drug addict, the trauma which they suffer cannot be understood by anybody else, because only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.

A few years ago, a case of some drunken students beating up and tearing off the uniform of an on-duty cop during elections was reported in Chandigarh. When an in-uniform police official is not safe, how can a common man feel safe? The use of alcohol, money, and muscle has become an entwined part of student elections. These elections can be thought of as mini-model of state elections.

The contestants in these elections don’t belong to any common family but are related to either leaders or high-ranking officials. They don’t care about money. Contesting these elections is no more the job of a common man or someone belonging to a financially stricken background. Because of these reasons hooliganism in universities and colleges is on a rise. Many a time, children find themselves unwillingly entrapped in such situations. Parents need to counsel their children to stay away from these unworthy matters. It is quite natural for a common man to worry over the everyday fights in educational institutions.    

There is no denying that student elections come with its benefits and can be used to effectively cater to the difficulties of the students but considering the amount of nuisance that it has started to create it is high time now that the government must take some stringent action to prevent these holy knowledge delivering centres from transforming into obnoxious grounds of battle. Till the time the leaders of student organizations are protected, no peace can prevail in educational establishments. The government needs to stop this political infiltration into the lives of the students.

You can also read this article here at umirror.in, and on their Facebook page here.
You can read this article with some modifications here also, at Youth Ki Awaz. Spare some time to have a look at my blog there.