Study & Struggle

An article written by me in June 2007

Texts say that India is Democratic state; with most efficient system of Democracy that world had ever seen. Here citizens have a lot of rights and privileges. Unfortunately here there are no such democratic rights in the Indian college campuses (?). Here comes the new verdict upon this issue from the High Court of Kerala. Yes, India is becoming a country, where even the speech becomes crime. Every court verdict is carrying a new face and phase of prohibition and restriction to the society. Prohibition of union, speech, protest, politics… so and so. Judiciary is doing its work in framing a culture and a society, which surrenders before the ideology of dominating classes in the era of globalisation.This is the other side of the corporate business. The attempts for ‘apoliticalization’ of the students had started even during the periods of British Raj. Because rulers know education is the source of power. So it is there, where the unions and protests must be oppressed. It is in the campuses, where the active and thoughtful youth are present; who respond and protest without any chains and restrictions; who vigorously explode against unjust. Yes, the duty of campuses is to create revolution. A student is ‘a disturber of the status quo’!The rulers always feared campuses. A student society, who get involved in the studies, just like book-worms; where pain and pressure builds up outside, had never evolved here. These students had always experienced the greatness of politics, which shared their brotherhood with unknown person, which taught to light the candle of mercy, which showed how one’s personal defeat got dissolved in the everybody’s victory. Now we see the prohibition of this sky of feelings.As we early said, these attempts had a long history. Even during post-independence era, when the school politics got prohibited, we said, “Good, why these kids need politics?”Then, they separate the pre-degree course from the colleges and make it plus two in the schools. Thus they succeeded in sending ‘broiler chickens’ to the college campuses. Now it is turn of college politics. Why? Why these men are collapsing the ‘rising democratic India? We have to turn our fingers towards the new world order, new economic order, and new social order. Here courts are not recognizing the real issue of this order.But it is the duty of the students to recognize this issue. Now we can go for an appeal. But keep our powder dry. If we don’t do it, it means we give up politics. It we have an idea; we will fight for it. If we don’t have any these, then it is better to give up politics. Because, this freedom, not to get recognised by the courts. It is a Constitutional Right. And if Constitution does not allow this, it is a Human Right, which has to get asserted. This is the freedom struggle.If we want to be slaves, if we like invasion, then it will be better. If India is determining to be a intellectual colony, a cultural colony, an economic colony, then present policies are enough. Like that, if students want to be slaves, then there is no need of union and politics. Unless you have the urge for freedom, there would not be a fight for freedom!

“ You will say that a man has to live not as numbers or as columns, but as man. They will wear you handcuffs. We are free. To get arrested, jailed and even to get hanged.”“Hasta la Victoria Siempre!!!”

VAISAKH G.