For students, by students

CAMPUS POLITICS: DOES IT REALLY DELIVER OR IS IT JUST PASTIME?

The student unions of Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University make headlines every year during elections. University administrations see unions as a pressure group on student related issues — and want their leaders to remember that they are students first, party members later. But student groups see unions as essential to raise issues overlooked by authorities.

“There are examples when student unions have fought to get things changed in the varsity. A few years back, then DUSU president forced the administration to introduce scholarships for students belonging to financially weaker sections,” says Amrish Ranjan Pandey, member of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), DU.

A similar opinion is voiced by another big DU party, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). “We raised the issue of stadiums constructed during the Commonwealth Games being locked up. We asked DU officials to open them for sportspersons. The stadiums were used as storerooms to keep exam papers, etc. Now any bona fide student can go play in these stadiums,” says ABVP member Rohit Chahal.

DUSU election committee member Satish Kumar says student unions are only partly doing what unions are supposed to do — work for the benefit of students. “Although student unions in DU raise issues, the party members are more focused on a future political career,” says a senior DU official.

“While politicking happens in both JNU and DU, it still revolves around money and muscle power in DU. Though the parties — at least the major ones — deny they have flouted any rules, we get information that a lot of money is being spent in DUSU elections,” says the official.

The official cites a recent example of ABVP members taking their supporters to an adventure park in Rithala. “Money or gifts are still given to party members and supporters. At least the two big parties do it time and again,” adds the official.

JNU has a long history of Left politics with many Left party members now leaders in national parties. The problem of money and muscle power in JNU student union politics have never been an issue, say faculty members.

“There are occasions when it takes time to work on the demands, which the unions don’t understand. There have been times when things were not in our hands. At that point the unions should understand, sometimes they do,” says a senior JNU official. “Most of the demands of student unions are legitimate. They are heard and acted upon by varsity authorities.”

Teachers and officials of JNU are of the view that having a student union makes the functioning of the campus smooth. “We don’t believe in buying supporters. We want to do good work, raise important student issues and then have elections in a democratic way,” says Aarushi, a member of Students’ Federation of India (SFI).

While every year during elections student unions protest and discuss student related issues, the voter turnout shows a stark difference in how connected these unions are with students. Earlier this year when JNU had elections after a gap of four years, over 60 per cent voter turnout was reported. This time too, the turnout was 57 per cent in JNU. In the DUSU elections last year, the voter turnout was 33 per cent, while the figure this year reached 40 per cent.

“A majority of DU students don’t trust student unions. We feel that it is rare for DUSU or other student parties to take up issues that really benefit students. DU has over two lakh students in undergraduate courses, and only a few thousands really believe in what student parties talk about during elections,” says Abhipriya Gupta, a second-year student at Gargi College.

According to DU students, the connection between parties and students gets weakened when caste politics starts. “DU is a central university. Despite that we see a majority of student party members only from Jat or Gujjar communities. It is not that we are against any community, but this looks like domination,” says Gaurang Tripathi, student of Zakir Hussain College. This, she says, puts students off.

JNU’s Left scenario

JNU students argue that the high turnout is due to the Left politics and concentration of students from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in high numbers. “Region plays an important role here. You will notice students from Bihar, Bengal and UP in major political parties. JNU is famous for its Left politics and a majority of voter turnout is directed towards the several active Left parties,” says Rati Sen, a student of Russian Studies at JNU. “The Left ideas of equality attract students coming from various parts of the country. Also, the stronghold of Left parties makes sure that everything on the campus is subsidised, which attracts students,” says Sen.

Former students of both DU and JNU say student politics has changed tremendously in the last two decades.

“In JNU, student parties used to be extremely strong. There were always clashes between the administration and the parties. I know of a JNUSU president who went to a senior official’s house and told him to fix the water issue in the hostel or his water supply would be cut off by students,” says Nalini Das, who studied in JNU in the 80s.

Even DU students of yesteryears say their union used to be strong. “Party leaders like Arun Jaitley and Ajay Maken have made their place in national politics. However, DUSU leaders then too used to focus on national leadership rather than getting into the root of student issues. We had a joke, which goes on till now, that DUSU members are only seen during elections or admissions,” says Madhur Goswami, who studied in DU in the 80s.
Against Lyngdoh guidelines

Student union parties of both varsities have criticised the Lyngdoh committee guidelines, calling them “restrictive”. The guidelines were framed to keep a check on money and muscle power during student union polls.

Student groups at DU say the Lyngdoh committee guidelines have weakened the functioning of DUSU due to a fear of show cause notices even over minor issues. At JNU too, students surrendered to Lyngdoh guidelines after a four-year-long battle against accepting them in toto.

“Student issues were increasing and there wasn’t an elected body to talk about it to the administration,” says an SFI member. “Such guidelines will be useful in DU and similar varsities, but in JNU — which is thriving on student politics and a majority of students are postgraduates — the ideology differs, so should the guidelines,” says Devirupa, a student of International Studies.

Keeping in mind the different dynamics in both varsities, four concessions were given to JNU. “The guidelines have restricted the way student unions should function. The ferocity of student power and politics in JNU has definitely come down. Maybe it is too less a time to say that the last JNUSU did not do anything. But when protests take place on the campus, the number of students who turn up are slowly dwindling,” says Devirupa.

According to officials, the Lyngdoh committee guidelines have restricted student unions, but for the better. “After Lyngdoh was implemented, a student can contest elections in DU without worrying about money or muscle power. The dynamics of student unions have definitely changed in DU. Giving responsibility to the election committee to make sure that DUSU polls are contested in the way student union elections should be contested is a positive step towards clean student politics,” says Kumar.

Jamia Millia Islamia too might get its student union back, after six years. It was banned due to fights between parties. After several petitions by a few students from the varsity, the Delhi High Court recently asked the Jamia administration to form a committee and start the process of reviving it.