Student unions have a bold and longstanding history of defending democratic rights in India. Along with workers and peasants, students have played an active part in numerous mass movements throughout the country over the past century. Constituting the bulk of the country’s population in terms of age group, they have demonstrated their collective power by daring to confront repressive institutions and governments. To dismiss the significance of student unions and limit them to a sorry bundle of violent and distracted students is to fail impeccably in understanding what these organizations undauntedly stand for and indeed struggle against.
In recent years, student unions have come under constant scrutiny in various states, resulting in drastic policy changes that constrain their power and deter their purpose. In Bangalore, the 1989 ban on student unions still remains in effect as a justification to tackle ‘campus violence’ and disruptions of harmony among students and faculty. Evidently, the violence attributed to student organizations is etched onto the faces of every student who feels silenced and powerless today due to the absence of a meaningful platform to address their grievances. For over three decades, the educational institutions throughout the city have fully exploited this ban, deliberately enacting policies and rules without the democratic involvement of the students or showing any regard for their input or well-being. To offer a recent case in point, these include harsh, arbitrary shifts in educational frameworks due to the implementation of NEP in several colleges. What’s more, private universities limit student activism and discourage dissent, which erodes the democratic spirit on campuses. They often receive support from the government, as every institute aligns with the ruling class ideology to maintain the status quo, creating a symbiotic relationship. This often results in stifling open discussions and limiting the diversity of perspectives, thereby creating an environment where the free exchange of independent ideas is curtailed. Student unions are needed to democratize campus spaces.
Due to the void in campus politics, we find ourselves divided over our issues within these institutions. The typical Bangalore student perceives their grievances as personal burdens — challenges endured in isolation. Consequently, a collective resignation settles in as such struggles become universal yet unaddressed. We remain either oblivious to our peers’ challenges or choose to persist in our own sense of helplessness against the unyielding suppression of our voices. For instance, within high-end private universities, we go as far as raising concerns about the positioning of the fans in our classrooms, yet turn a blind eye to our classmates being detained for failing to meet unfair attendance requirements. Moreover, many of us within these institutions grapple with isolation, attributing our mental struggles to so called ‘chemical imbalances’ in our minds. Counsellors in such settings often dismiss students’ suffering, branding our symptoms as exaggerations. The student councils in these universities, whether elected or not, operate under the command of the university management and therefore do not have the autonomy to raise issues that may contradict the interests of the management. The council acts as a barricade between students and management, preventing concerns from gaining meaningful momentum.
At the end of the day, genuine support and empathy come from fellow students who, like us, bear the burden of being stakeholders within these institutions. Student unions are needed to foster a deep sense of solidarity among students.
The prohibition of these unions has further led to the depoliticization of the student population. Many of us claim and openly embrace being ‘apolitical,’ but isn’t taking an absent stance also a deliberate political choice? We stand so distant from the prevailing political discourse and struggles in our society that we prefer the comfort of our abstracted bubble over participating in reshaping our surrounding realities. We relegate the responsibility of instigating change to politicians (or anyone professing to reform within the system), conveniently shielding ourselves from confronting the very injustices we consciously overlook. Marx had an interesting thing to say – “The mode of production of material life, conditions the social, political, and intellectual life processes in general. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness.” Indeed, our social position significantly shapes our stance on political matters, and the absence of a meaningful dialogue to help us guide our choices exacerbates this effect. Ultimately, a deep grasp of the political scenario is not just an option, but a necessity for us. The decisions made in the political realm directly impact our education, employment opportunities, and the very fabric of our society. Remaining oblivious leaves us vulnerable to manipulation by those in power. Political awareness empowers us to challenge oppressive norms, fight for our rights, and be active contributors to change.
Student unions are needed to shield students from becoming passive objects, ensuring our active role in determining our future.
The time has come for the students of Bangalore to demand the revival of student unions within educational institutions. The struggles that appear formidable are worth fighting for, especially if these unions are promptly reestablished as active forces on campuses. There needs to be no justification for such a demand, provided that we understand the urgency of having a radical student body to hold educational institutions accountable, and by extension, challenge the dominant narratives of the ruling class. We deserve campuses that embody the democratic ideals we’re taught. As Frederick Engels proclaimed – “The political freedoms, the right of assembly and association, and the freedom of the press— those are our weapons. Are we to sit back and abstain while somebody tries to rob us of them?”
Student unions are needed.
