STUDENTS AND POLITICS
Since the days of Britishers students have been advised by their teachers and parents not to take part in politics. The Britishers knew that it is the young who can revolt against them successfully. Thus, in pre-independence days, the students who participated in the freedom movement, which was politics in those days, were expelled from schools and colleges.
Centuries of slavery had made people—the parents and guardians-docile. They did not want their sons and daughters to suffer imprisonment or loss of material gains. Thus politics was out of bounds for students. Still it was students who turned revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Raj guru, Sukhdev, Chandrasekhar Azad and many others. A very large number of students, throughout the country, left schools and colleges on the call of Mahatma Gandhi. The efforts of these youngman brought freedom to the nation. It was not justified to say that students should not take part in politics. Personal interests are to be sacrificed for national interests.
After independence opportunism and corruption entered the national life. It affected every field of the social fabric. Politics could not remain aloof. It became the prerogative of one political party in India. It was said that this political party had achieved freedom for India. The advice of Mahatma Gandhi that after Independence the Congress party should be dissolved was ignored. The old local leaders wanted to encash their so called or real sacrifices. The new entrants to the party were opportunists. They had nothing to do with the nation or the country. Gradually politics was based not on the nation but on opportunism. It was and is quite natural that sensible persons may ask their wards not to be a part of this dirty politics.
The trend of opportunism continues. The result is that intelligent students keep themselves away from politics. But ruffians guide politics everywhere. Schools and colleges have not been left alone. They are controlled by strong Student Unions controlled by most unscrupulous youngman. The number of such students is hardly ten per cent. In the country to the number of ruffians who control politics is not more than one per cent of the population. It is rather strange that this small fraction of the society guides or misguides the destiny of the nation.
It is only the young men i.e. the students studying in colleges who have idealism in their lives. It is only they who can sacrifice their personal interests for the national cause. In all the countries of the world it is they who have secured and maintained the independence of their nation. It is the responsibility of the young students to give a turn to the person oriented politics of the country. It is they who have to reap the fruits-sweet or sour-in the days to crone. The future-healthy or unhealthy-is theirs. If they do not contain the ruffians and allow them loot the nation they will have a ransacked house when they come to maturity. They have not only to participate in politics but have to change the trend. They have to make politics nation oriented. It is only the young students who can salvage the ship of the nation and make it the most ideal democracy of the world.