[IAC#RG] TREAT STUDENT POLITICIAN AS POLITICIAN AND NOT AS STUDENT

    

To

India Against Corruption

                                                                                          TREAT STUDENT POLITICIAN AS POLITICIAN AND NOT AS STUDENT

When I was a student in Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu, I attended a meeting addressed by Mr. V.V.Giri, former Vice President and President of India.

During the question and answer session, I asked Mr.V.V.Giri as to whether the students can get themselves involved in political activities. Mr. V.V. Giri replied without hesitation that students should do the following three things, namely study, study and study.

Mr. Giri  who was an active trade union leader before becoming the Vice President of India pointed out that students should know politics but should not involve themselves in politics, as it would divert the attention from the primary task of studying and learning. Students getting involved in politics is neither in their interest nor in the interest of the nation.

The recent incidents in J N U, Delhi , where students planned cultural programme to protest against the hanging of Afzal Guru, the agitation by students in Hyderabad University when a student committed suicide and the support readily given to such agitations by politicians , only highlight the fact that politics have made deep inroads in the academic institutions and universities.

In recent times in Tamil Nadu,  several students have indulged in rowdy like behavior and frequently indulged in condemnable acts such as fighting between themselves with knives, hijacking the transport buses and even murdering teachers. Many of such students have affiliations to one political party or the other and if the police would initiate action against them, politicians interfere in their support.

It is seen that more than 95% of the students are interested only in academic pursuits. Only  minority  of students who have criminal mind set or who want to launch themselves as politicians in future, indulge in such rowdy like behavior.  Unfortunately, the print and visual media give huge publicity to such deplorable activities of small group of students, which virtually amount to encouraging  them,  as these politicians in the making get all the publicity that they want.

In this scenario, it is appropriate that the Government of India has taken action against the agitating JNU students  and strongly deplored their behavior. As expected, several politicians in the opposition parties and some so called activists criticize the  action of the government of India with  ready made statements such as curtailing the freedom and reminiscence of the emergency days etc. As usual, the print and visual media give more publicity and space  to the activities of the student and utterances of the critical politicians, than the views of the government.

It is high time that we treat the student  politician as politician and not as student and refrain from giving the benefit of treating  with kid gloves. 

N.S.Venkataraman

Nandini Voice For The Deprived

nandinivoice.com