THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Winds of change have, at long last, visited the University College in Thiruvananthapuram, which has hogged the headlines of late for all the wrong reasons.
22-7-2019 would go down as a Red Letter Day in the history of student politics in the State. The momentous day saw the end of domination of the campus by the Students Federation of India(SFI), the students wing of the CPI(M),which had dominated the campus scene through a campaign of intimidation, reign of terror and violence, denying student organisations belonging to other political parties the freedom to function on the campus.
It also witnessed history when the Kerala Students Union (KSU) owing allegiance to the Congress, formed a un it in the college after 18 years. It was a memorable occasion when winds of freedom swept the college campus removing the miasma of single student organisation’s domination. Still, there were apprehensions that the event would be accompanied by violence. But the historic event passed off peacefully thanks to the presence of a strong contingent of police.
The development has been welcomed by one and all. But sceptics continue to voice their reservations and apprehensions. The proof of the pudding, they contend, is in the eating. Therefore, the Left Democratic Front Government, the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Communist Party of India (CPI-M) must walk the talk, they argue. Well, they have a valid point. So let us keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
There is, however, a ray of hope as the CPI(M) leaders themselves have unreservedly condemned the stabbing incident, which led to a spontaneous and un precedented protest by students cutting across party affiliations.
That said, it must also be mentioned that one swallow does not make a summer. Corrective action in University College alone won’t produce the desired results. For, the University College alone is not the victim of violence and undemocratic functioning of the SFI. There are other colleges, among them the Brunnen College in Thalassery and the Madappalli College in Vadakara in North Malabar, where the SFI continues to impose their will and persist in their terrorising ways. The winds of change must visit these campuses as well for real peace and democracy to prevail on college campuses in the State.
To be fair to the SFI, it is not the only student organisation which seeks to stamp its dominance on college campuses. Student organisations owing allegiance to other parties also resort to the same trick in their strongholds.
For instance, in the Muslim-dominated Malappuram district, it is the SFI which is at the receiving end, for a change as it were! Here, it is the Muslim Students Federation (MSF), the student wing of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which enjoys unchallenged supremacy.
Likewise, in Paruthipala college in Thiruvananthapuram district, it is the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad(ABVP), the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata party(BJP) which calls the shots on the campus. Many more instances can be cited.
This, in turn, exposes the doublespeak indulged in by various political parties which go hammer and tongs at the SFI and the CPI(M). But the same parties maintain a deafening silence when their own student bodies indulge in undemocratic tactics.
Therefore, the need of the hour is for all parties to renounce violence by their student wings and meet out condign punishment to the ones that violate the democratic principles. An immediate change in the mindset of all parties is an essential prerequisite for the prevalence of permanent peace on college campuses. Then alone can the colleges can cease to be centres of conflict and emerge as learning centres of excellence. Is it too much to hope? But, then, hope springs eternal in human hearts. (IPA Service)
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