Students and Politics

The student community being young and energetic is a bundle of inflammable material, which at the touch of a spark ignites into a large uncontrollable fire like a forest fire. They, being young have no patience, are lively and malleable.

In India, the trend of students actively participating in politics began in the early 20th century, when India was fighting for its freedom. The elders being busy with their bread earning actively encouraged the youngsters to enter the arena of politics. Besides, they were young and would be easily enthused to join the mass movement at the drop of a hat. Political parties at that time started enlisting the support of the young students who organized themselves happily, to help one party or the other. This trend started in the early years of the 20th century and continued and even expanded up to date.

However, once independence was won, it was to be reconsidered if students should be allowed or courage to enter politics. Some sections of society now started believing that students should stay away from politics and keep to their study schedules only. While society kept debating on this issue, the politician took the younger generation as their work cum energy tanks and this participation of students in politics has come to stay.

The present scenario in India is thus a keen struggle of political parties engaged in enlisting the support of students. This obviously results in the students getting sharply divided as if they were of this political party or that so much so, even the campus elections become tainted with a touch of politics.

There is of course nothing without advantages and disadvantages, so does this involvement of students in politics. There are both serious disadvantages and maybe a few advantages too of students being on the center stage of politics. Disadvantages outnumber the advantages. Firstly, while the students have primarily entered college for studies they get distracted from their prime objective and become entangled in the dirty game of politics. The energy and time they use or waste in masterminding political moves could well be used to study. This entry of politics into the premises of educational institutions has caused much damage to several students. Students have got rusticated owing to their active participation in politics, thus losing their hold on studies. Politics teaches students to put an end to all rules and regulations and become rowdy and violent. This leads to the closure of institutions which again takes a toll on students’ study time. The very innocent and loving appearance of children gets lost and they become rude, arrogant, and disobedient. When there is too much hooliganism entering into educational institutions, even police is to be called sometimes and there is an utter disorder on the campus and even bullets find their way among the students. The disadvantages of students entering politics are numerous and destructive.

When we study the advantages of this system, they do exist but, are very few and hardly significant. Children entering the arena of politics learn the art of public speaking. They learn to be assertive and impressive. This medium is a good stepping stone to the art of leadership. The important and real advantage is that students in these prime years of life gain a lot of knowledge of politics which gives them the training to enter the arena as trained politicians.

After studying the pros and cons of students’ participation in politics, the disadvantages are more damaging than the gains acquired in the sequence. For, all the advantages students gain, can as well be achieved so in other ways also and there is no need for their entry into politics.

Students must stay away from politics and retain their interest in studies which alone can help them steer the ships of their lives.