- 10 minutes ago
Young India’s political voice: Student leaders debate protests and power
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Welcome all of you to the India Today conclave.
00:03I think you are right now the theme of this country.
00:07Everyone's talking about all of you or what you think.
00:10They're trying to dial into what each of you want addressed as well.
00:14But I've also got in each of you young voices
00:18who are also trying to shape the politics of this country.
00:22We've seen the rise of the CGP, which we'll get into.
00:26Vijay is also with us for that.
00:27But Dr. Aloshis, I'd like to begin with you.
00:30On student politics, you know, we speak of the politics of young India.
00:35Did student unions fail to be the voice of young India
00:38and that's why we've seen the birth of a CGP?
00:41No, actually we can't say like that.
00:44The student movements, the various student organizations
00:47associated with the various ideologies
00:50or everyone are live in the country in all the issues.
00:55All the issues means difference of issues
00:56are addressing by all the major student organizations of the country.
01:00But the current protest, the current protest that happened in Delhi,
01:06this Jandarmandar protest, we can see that actually most of the political parties
01:12didn't want to give the color of it being taken by any particular mainstream political organization.
01:20Actually, the youths and the student communities came forward
01:24and they have led a very good protest.
01:27Actually, it was not related to or surrounded over a particular single issue.
01:34For the last 12 years, there were a series of problems faced by the student communities.
01:42It was related to this NEET issue, CVC issue and paper leak and unemployment issue.
01:49These were the issues that came up,
01:50which led to so many students from colleges coming out onto the streets.
01:54Yeah, actually, if you look into the history, if you look into the history,
01:58if any particular issues are happening in the country,
02:02the student forces are coming forward.
02:05Okay, every student organization are addressing the issue.
02:07This is even if the organization which I represent
02:10address a particular issue for the last two or three years.
02:14From 2024, we have organized a series of protests all across the country.
02:20But all those protests didn't got much visibility.
02:24That's the thing what I want to tell.
02:26It didn't got visibility.
02:27But the current protests which was led by this CGP or the student community,
02:33it is not only many student fractions participated in that particular protest.
02:38So the visibility they got only because of us,
02:43only because of it was not aligned to any mainstream political party.
02:49That's my point.
02:50Vijay, is the birth of the CGP and the popularity that the CGP received
02:55because of the failure of student unions in tapping into student voices?
02:59I wouldn't say it's a failure of student unions.
03:02We had a lot of student unions who came there in our support at Jenter Mantra.
03:06But they should have been the voice of those,
03:09you know, of the anger, the angst that people felt of the students.
03:13You were that instead.
03:14People found us as a common platform, which we are very grateful for.
03:18And so did the student organizations who have kept their ideological differences aside
03:22and stood ground at Jenter Mantra and faced all the brutality.
03:26Yet they were under one umbrella that CGP was, you know, trying to bring them together with.
03:32And we want to do that even going forward to take all the ideologically aligned student unions together,
03:39even with the new electoral reforms agitation that we are going ahead.
03:44Ajay, is there a possibility that we'll ever see all of you cutting across
03:49and keeping your political differences aside to come together for one cause?
03:53Surely, actually, what AADSO believes is, beyond politics, beyond political parties,
04:02whoever may be in power, we are seeing the institution of public education in our country is being attacked.
04:10Whoever may be in power, it may be BJP, right now it is BJP,
04:13earlier it was Congress or different state governments.
04:16We are seeing, just to give a statistics, in last one decade, 94,000 government schools have been closed down
04:25in the country.
04:2694,000.
04:28And there are 10 lakh vacancies, 1 million, 1 million vacancies of teacher posts in government colleges, government schools.
04:36So this is the condition throughout the country.
04:39So irrespective of political party, all are attacking the public education.
04:44So irrespective of political affiliation, we should fight against it.
04:49This is what we believe in.
04:51Shravan, here, is representing the ABVP.
04:54You have the unenviable task of responding to almost every question that comes up on this panel, Shravan.
04:59But in light of what's happened and the protests that have taken place,
05:04has that also hit and dented the image of the ABVP in these campuses?
05:09First of all, thanks for having me here.
05:17First of all, thanks for having me here.
05:20If you are seeing the direction of the student movement from last many years,
05:25not only student movement, but the recent protests happening in our country,
05:30we can see an rise of alternative politics in India.
05:36Alternative politics.
05:37I am stressing the term alternative politics.
05:39The idea is simple.
05:41Subversion of democracy through democratic method.
05:46And that has been visible from the last many years
05:50by the unity-based protests happening in the country.
05:53And we have witnessed how the organization and the representatives sitting beside me
06:00have targeted ABVP on many of the recent issues.
06:05And we have given them the response through the Students' Union election and its poll.
06:10And it was visible from the Delhi University Students' Union election.
06:14Where it was a one-sided competition we have given.
06:18Where was NSUI?
06:19Where was CJP?
06:20And SFI was fighting with the nota.
06:23And in the Punjab University also, the result was visible.
06:28So, it's not, not only is there has to be a resistance
06:32so that we can work more for the student community.
06:36That's what we believe.
06:36Okay, this is a good point.
06:38Amrithullah, just give me a moment, I'll come to you.
06:41Vijay, ultimately, look, there's a lot of talk about the protests that the CJP led,
06:46about the anger among the Gen Z and all of that.
06:48But then you look at the DU result.
06:50What did that show?
06:51So, DU results, I would say it's a lot of opposition being fragmented.
06:56If you look at the absolute number of votes, ABVP did not secure the absolute majority.
07:01And NSUI also had a rebel candidate who secured absolute majority.
07:06The independent, yeah.
07:06The independent candidate.
07:07So, like I said, especially, I don't know if it's possible in mainstream politics,
07:12but at least in student politics, there is an urgent need for opposition unity while fighting, you know.
07:19You'd say that that's the common theme in mainstream as well as in student politics, then.
07:24Mridullah, why don't you come in?
07:25You're from Tamil Nadu.
07:26Yes.
07:27Where you also see a lot of student politics.
07:30Yet, when these protests happened in Tamil Nadu, there was a showdown and a controversy that students weren't participating enough.
07:38What do you have to say about that?
07:40Tamil Apesanga, she will speak in Tamil.
07:41She's more comfortable in Tamil.
07:42So, please.
07:44I'll try to speak in English.
07:45Please.
07:45If it is uncomfortable, I can.
07:47Please.
07:48I'll proceed in Tamil.
07:50Actually, the thing is, during the CJP protest in Jantar Mantar, we have put our hands together.
07:56And all the left student movements, we have started a protest in Tamil Nadu.
08:02And we were continuing the protest till 12 days.
08:06So, we are continuing the protest for 12 days.
08:09And I think the politics is dividing us.
08:12But we have to say, the society, that we are united.
08:16Even in the Jantar Mantar protest, all the left student movements, we have put our hands together.
08:22And we have joined the Jantar Mantar protest and we have strengthened that movement.
08:27So, there is no argument in dividing us, like, this is CJP movement and this is SFI movement and this
08:35is ISO movement.
08:36I think we should not go to that.
08:38It happened in mainstream politics, right?
08:41There were hands who were put up saying, no, we are part of this, we aren't.
08:44It didn't permeate through to student politics.
08:47Actually, the thing is, the drawback in Tamil Nadu, we don't have students union election in Tamil Nadu.
08:53You know, the Dravidian movement, who came to power by student movement.
08:58And also, now the new government has been formed, Talabadi, which has formed the new government, TVK government.
09:05But the thing is, no one is initiating for the students union.
09:10We know that Lindo committee prescribes to ensure the student council election all over the India.
09:18But the reality in Tamil Nadu, even it's a non-BJP state, we don't have students union election.
09:25That is the biggest problem for us to organize the students or politicize the students.
09:31Think what they will speak in the campus.
09:33They will just come and sit.
09:35They will listen to the teachers and they go back to home or they go back to hostel.
09:39Again, they will face the issues in the hostel.
09:43You see the hostel, mess fees will be high.
09:46And if they go back to their hometown, they have to face the cost of living expenses will be high.
09:53They are up to politics.
09:56But in the campuses, the government is restricting us.
10:02They don't have student union elections.
10:04I'm protesting all of that.
10:05We've seen that also.
10:06There was a controversial issue on there.
10:08But Aloshis, ultimately, and I'll come back to what Shravan mentioned,
10:12that when it comes to elections, student body elections like what we saw in DU,
10:17that fragmentation has hurt, you know, the other bodies.
10:21And so the ABVP still comes on top.
10:22So you ask what do the youth want, they'll say, look, the results are there for everyone to see.
10:28If you look into the students union elections, what he mentioned in DUSU and all,
10:34the votes actually fragmented.
10:36That's a right thing if you look into the vote shares and all.
10:39And we must also understand one thing.
10:42The voting percentage was even less than 50%.
10:45That means majority of the students not even came for the vote.
10:50For the many years, NSU ruled the Delhi University, ABVP ruled the Delhi University,
10:57and these left are also strong there.
11:00These opposition votes are being fragmented.
11:03That's a major reason.
11:04But that's a challenge.
11:05Then that means strategically you're also failing to take on the ABVP.
11:07Actually, the leaders or those who are in the power,
11:12the major tool they are used to, what are using is division of these votes.
11:21Actually, divide and rule is what actually happened here.
11:23Our opposition votes are being divided.
11:26That's a major...
11:26They're allowing it to happen, aren't you?
11:27Actually, there must be...
11:29We must check the possibility of this opposition unity,
11:32actually, because especially in this particular scenario,
11:34for the last three terms, BJP was in the power in central,
11:39and every attempt they are doing to destroy the democracy of the country.
11:46So, there must be alternative options,
11:48and we must definitely think about that for an opposition unity,
11:53so that we can reduce the scattering of this vote of the youths and all.
11:58And it would be, every political party must be very cautious for the upcoming election,
12:03so that even if we can't bring down this Narendra Modi government,
12:08the basic concept of our country,
12:10that is which is based on these democratic values, will be come down.
12:14So, being the voice of the country,
12:17every youths must be very much vigilant,
12:19and being a student organization,
12:22we would be definitely thinking about what can be,
12:24or what shall be done to avoid the scattering of the sports and all.
12:28There's a...
12:28Ajay, there's a certain fatigue,
12:31and there's a sense that, you know,
12:33the usual options don't deliver for us,
12:37and hence they're looking at the alternative.
12:39In some cases, you've got them again going back to the ABVP,
12:42or the alternative.
12:43Does that, in a sense, also reflect failure
12:46on several student unions' paths,
12:48on getting the imagination of the youth,
12:51of the voters,
12:51of the students in these universities?
12:54Actually, after the Lingdo Commission recommendations have been implemented,
12:58student unions have been reduced to event managers.
13:02They will just manage some events in the colleges,
13:05they will organize fests,
13:07they will collect funds for maintaining college,
13:10organize some programs, some functions.
13:12They have been reduced to that.
13:14So, they've become irrelevant in campuses?
13:16They're not the voice of the students anymore?
13:18No, no.
13:19The form that they are in right now,
13:21they are no longer voice of the students.
13:23Especially in majority of the states,
13:25there are no student union elections.
13:27Even if elections are held,
13:29this is the role they have.
13:31They are not talking about the policies that are being implemented,
13:34what are the problems inside the campuses,
13:37what is the syllabus we are teaching,
13:39what is the condition,
13:40women's safety inside the campus.
13:42So, we feel,
13:44of course, student union election is very much necessary,
13:46but if you remove politics away from it,
13:49and if you do not give it a movement orientation,
13:53see,
13:53when Subhash Sandrabos was in his college,
13:56he started student union.
13:58He was a student union leader.
14:00He contested elections.
14:02He fought against the British from his college days.
14:04So, if student union do not take the form of movement orientation,
14:10or do not follow an ideology,
14:12then they will remain event managers.
14:15So, elections will lose its value.
14:18Vijay, do you think that,
14:20you know,
14:20in colleges,
14:21it's important to promote that kind of democracy,
14:23of having these student unions?
14:25What does it do,
14:26really,
14:26for students,
14:27when they have these kind of unions,
14:28versus not having them at all?
14:30A democracy in a campus,
14:31what is that important?
14:32So, it's a gateway into mainstream politics,
14:35one.
14:35If you take Usmania University,
14:37I am from Hyderabad.
14:38It's been decades since there have been elections in Usmania University,
14:42and Usmania University has given leaders,
14:44that have gone to the cabinet level,
14:47and, you know,
14:47chief minister of,
14:49ex-Andhra Pradesh state,
14:50all of these people were,
14:52the,
14:53you know,
14:54alumni of Usmania University,
14:55but Usmania University doesn't have any elections.
14:58So, this is something that is concerning,
15:00that the governments,
15:01themselves,
15:02the political parties,
15:03themselves make it very personal,
15:05right?
15:05They should kind of separate,
15:07the student organizations,
15:09student unions,
15:10from mainstream politics.
15:11They make it,
15:12as if it's,
15:13a mini state election.
15:15That's what happened with DU.
15:16So,
15:17it's time we actually,
15:18dis-franchise,
15:19and,
15:20make them more,
15:21campus oriented,
15:22give them more freedom,
15:24and,
15:25and enable,
15:26more elections,
15:27in all state universities.
15:28Shravan,
15:29as a result of this,
15:30connect that we see,
15:32of,
15:32political parties,
15:34mainstream parties,
15:34and the student unions,
15:35I think everyone,
15:36is associated with one political party,
15:38with one ideology,
15:39or the other.
15:40Does that also lead to,
15:42a lot of hate,
15:43in campuses,
15:44a political,
15:45ideological divide,
15:46in campuses?
15:49Yeah,
15:50so,
15:50talking about the,
15:52political ideology,
15:53and student activism,
15:54I would like to,
15:55put a small example.
15:57ABVP,
15:58was in Frankfurt,
15:59fighting against,
16:00Indira Gandhi's emergency,
16:02in Delhi,
16:03Arun Jetli,
16:04former union minister,
16:05he was one of the person,
16:07who was leading the movement.
16:08Once,
16:09emergency got lifted,
16:11in 1977,
16:12a resolution got passed,
16:14by the ruling party,
16:16an invitation to ABVP,
16:18to join the ministry.
16:21ABVP,
16:22rejected,
16:22the offer,
16:23and said that,
16:25we will work,
16:25above the partisan politics.
16:28That's the,
16:29core thought,
16:30Vidyarthi Parishat,
16:31always believes,
16:31to work,
16:32above the partisan politics.
16:34Then now,
16:35when comes to the,
16:36campus situation,
16:37we can see,
16:38the campus politics,
16:39have totally changed,
16:41in the last few years.
16:42Especially,
16:43after the rise of the,
16:44social media,
16:46we can see the activism,
16:48based on social media,
16:49memes,
16:50and the,
16:51such kind of,
16:52But that's why I ask,
16:53if the student union,
16:54which is what I started off with,
16:56whether it's becoming irrelevant.
16:57No,
16:57no,
16:58not,
16:58not at all.
16:59Because students can voice,
16:59what they want on social media,
17:01students can go ahead,
17:03and,
17:03take up a cause,
17:04on social media,
17:05they don't need a union anymore.
17:07See,
17:08I will,
17:08that's what I quoted,
17:09about the,
17:10emergency movement.
17:11At the time of emergency,
17:13it was a student-led movement.
17:16Majorly,
17:16Ajay Pragash,
17:17Narayan,
17:17even Navanurman,
17:18Andhul,
17:18from Gujarat.
17:19These all were the basics.
17:20At the time,
17:21social media was not relevant,
17:22but still,
17:24lakhs of students gathered,
17:24in the streets.
17:26And,
17:26we can't,
17:27fragment the generations.
17:30Whether it is the,
17:31JP movement,
17:32whether it is the,
17:33movement against corruption,
17:35which led by,
17:36Anna Hasare,
17:37whether the recent protests,
17:39happening here,
17:39these are the,
17:40continuation of the protests,
17:42happening in our country.
17:43We can't fragment,
17:44these movements separately.
17:45And the other thing,
17:46social media,
17:47can connect the people.
17:49But the,
17:50individual to,
17:51individual touch,
17:52is required,
17:53when we talk about,
17:54the student politics,
17:55in campus.
17:56Because,
17:57social media activism,
17:58can never understand,
18:00the emotion,
18:01what a student,
18:02goes through.
18:03But a man to,
18:04but an individual to,
18:05individual connect,
18:06can address that issue.
18:08No,
18:08but the other criticism,
18:09Ajay,
18:10is,
18:10that,
18:11student politics,
18:12has become an excuse,
18:14for violence,
18:14violence on campus.
18:16How do you respond to that?
18:18That this divide,
18:19leads to,
18:19like I said,
18:20hate,
18:20but then ultimately,
18:22violence.
18:23Actually,
18:23the problem is,
18:24those who are preparing,
18:26our curriculum,
18:27those who are looking,
18:28after our academics,
18:30they want students,
18:31to be totally,
18:32apolitical.
18:33They do not want,
18:34to politicize students.
18:36They,
18:36on the one hand,
18:38all the anti-student,
18:39policies are being,
18:40implemented.
18:41On the other hand,
18:42you do not want students,
18:43to develop,
18:44movement orientation.
18:45You want them,
18:46to have an ideology.
18:47Yes,
18:47we want them,
18:48to have an ideology,
18:49but those who are,
18:50controlling the curriculum,
18:52they do not want,
18:53students to be politicized.
18:55That is why,
18:56from our curriculum,
18:57entire,
18:59revolutionary,
19:00form of,
19:00freedom movement,
19:01that is removed,
19:02from our curriculum.
19:03Students do not study,
19:05what,
19:05Bhagat Singh was doing,
19:06when he was a student.
19:08Students do not study,
19:09what Subhash Bose was doing,
19:11when he was a student.
19:12How,
19:14high school children,
19:15fought against British.
19:17Students studying,
19:186th standard,
19:197th standard,
19:20leaving their schools,
19:21they gave their lives,
19:22to build this country.
19:24That students do not study.
19:25The education we got,
19:27it is true struggle,
19:28of Phules,
19:29of Vidya Sagar.
19:31That students do not study.
19:32By doing this,
19:34when anti-student policies,
19:36are brought,
19:37students are not,
19:38fighting against it.
19:39They are not,
19:40uniting against it.
19:41When you do not,
19:43give higher culture,
19:44higher ethics,
19:45then violence,
19:46will enter.
19:46Shravan,
19:47you want to respond to that?
19:48Just an addition,
19:50to the point,
19:50he talks about the,
19:52ideology,
19:53inculcation of the,
19:54ideology in the academics.
19:56I do second him,
19:57but a small different.
19:58I totally agree that,
20:00philosophy has to be there,
20:02which has to be,
20:03given to the generation.
20:05But,
20:05according to,
20:06Akhil Bharati,
20:06Vidyarati Barshad,
20:07it should be the,
20:08nation first ideology,
20:10that has to be given,
20:12to the ender student community.
20:14And,
20:14I totally believe,
20:15the newly implemented,
20:16national education policy,
20:18give the space,
20:19for the students,
20:20to talk about Bharatiya,
20:22and,
20:22take proud,
20:23on the concept of Bharatiya.
20:25The concept of,
20:26it's not,
20:27Rajanidi,
20:28it's,
20:29Rashtranidi,
20:30a student has to learn.
20:31So,
20:32the definition of that,
20:33but,
20:34which is the problem,
20:35right?
20:36Vijay,
20:37you've of course,
20:38been in this movement,
20:38where you're also looking at,
20:40how schools,
20:40curriculum,
20:41all of that,
20:42is also given to students.
20:43What do you make,
20:44of the current scenario,
20:45right now?
20:46You know,
20:46Ajay says,
20:47there's a problem,
20:47in the kind of studies,
20:48and the kind of curriculum,
20:49that students have,
20:50that they're not shown,
20:51the full truth,
20:52of how so many leaders,
20:54emerged from the grassroots,
20:55emerged from student politics.
20:57See,
20:58lately we have seen,
20:59many of the universities,
21:00have vice chancellors,
21:01who have inclination,
21:02or affiliation with RSS.
21:04So,
21:05this is a very,
21:06strategized effort,
21:07that BJP is doing,
21:09trying to take control,
21:10of the institutional bodies,
21:11trying to take control,
21:12of educational institutes,
21:13and how they are,
21:15you know,
21:16sending a message,
21:17across,
21:18the institutions,
21:19which we have seen,
21:21across many institutions,
21:22in this country.
21:23So,
21:23this is something,
21:24that many student,
21:26organizations,
21:27are fighting against,
21:28and like I said,
21:31a lot of,
21:33centralized focus,
21:34on how the curriculum,
21:34needs to be,
21:35is what is wrong.
21:36It needs to be decentralized,
21:37the scholarship,
21:38has to come up,
21:39with the curriculum,
21:40not the ministry,
21:40not the home ministry.
21:42So,
21:42you're saying,
21:43that state wise,
21:44there should be a difference?
21:45No,
21:45the states should have,
21:46the freedom.
21:47It's a concurrent,
21:48anyway education,
21:49is on a concurrent.
21:50But NEP is not doing that,
21:51NEP is centralizing it.
21:53NEP is taking away,
21:54the rights of the states.
21:56There are a lot of,
21:57a lot of freedom fighters,
21:59that have gone through states,
22:00right?
22:01A lot of local freedom fighters,
22:02and also,
22:03Of course,
22:04you can't deny that.
22:05So,
22:05that is being taken away.
22:07No,
22:07so,
22:07you know,
22:08one hand,
22:08you're saying,
22:09that the NEP will ensure,
22:10that nation rising,
22:12is the message,
22:12that's coming across.
22:13The worry is,
22:14that states,
22:14then don't have a say,
22:15despite concurrent list.
22:16I totally disagree to him,
22:19because education,
22:20falls in concurrent list,
22:21and according to the national,
22:22How much do states,
22:23actually have a say?
22:24So,
22:24even in the curriculum making,
22:26it's like,
22:27for example,
22:28there is a specific weightage,
22:30for the state government,
22:31to add the local content,
22:32in the curriculum.
22:34Even when you talk about,
22:35the higher education,
22:37UGC is giving,
22:38just guidelines,
22:39for the universities.
22:40They are not giving,
22:40any curriculum to the universities.
22:42All the universities,
22:43are having,
22:44autonomy to decide,
22:45what they have to be taught.
22:46Almost every state,
22:48that's now saying,
22:48we'll bring in,
22:49an NEP with terms and conditions,
22:50are saying this,
22:51that we want,
22:51rights over,
22:52what will be the curriculum.
22:54So,
22:54they don't have,
22:55100% rights over,
22:56who does,
22:56who can study what.
22:58If you notice,
22:59recently,
22:59UGC have released,
23:01a curriculum framework.
23:03Okay?
23:04LOCF,
23:05sorry,
23:05learning outcome based,
23:07curriculum framework,
23:07of 13 subject,
23:08if I am not wrong.
23:10This framework,
23:11just give an outline,
23:13to the universities.
23:14It will be good,
23:15if you follow this.
23:17And if you,
23:18take examples like,
23:19Kerala,
23:20Tamil Nadu,
23:22even in,
23:23Telangana and Karnataka,
23:24a resistance has,
23:25already been started.
23:26But the interesting thing is,
23:28UGC's,
23:29curriculum,
23:30LOCF talks about,
23:31the Bharatiya knowledge in that.
23:33But unfortunately,
23:34the state government,
23:35doesn't want to,
23:37invite the,
23:38Bharatiya thoughts in the curriculum.
23:40That's the issue,
23:40we are facing now.
23:41Mridila,
23:42do you want to respond,
23:43at least in the state of Tamil Nadu,
23:44what's happening on that?
23:45Yeah,
23:46yeah,
23:46actually,
23:46Shravan is speaking about,
23:48the UGC.
23:49But now,
23:49the BJP government plan,
23:51is to dismantle the UGC.
23:53And they are,
23:53bringing out the bill,
23:55VBSA.
23:56So,
23:56it will dismantle,
23:57the UGC,
23:58AI,
23:58CT,
23:59NCT,
23:59all the boards.
24:00And,
24:01under the one umbrella,
24:02everything will come.
24:03In that,
24:04the problem is,
24:06the curriculum,
24:06which they are prescribing,
24:09it talks about,
24:11religion,
24:13particular,
24:13one religion.
24:15And,
24:15there are so many,
24:16superficial things,
24:17in that,
24:18things.
24:19What do you mean?
24:19What do you mean?
24:19I mean,
24:20I hear this a lot.
24:21But,
24:21yeah,
24:22yeah.
24:22In Tamil Nadu,
24:24we are from,
24:25Tandai Periyarman,
24:26we are from Jeeva,
24:28we are from,
24:29Singha Raveller,
24:31like that leaders,
24:32they are,
24:33pioneering us.
24:34So,
24:35we don't want,
24:36this curriculum.
24:37So,
24:37our demand is,
24:39education should not be,
24:40in concurrent list.
24:41It should be,
24:41come to state list.
24:42So,
24:43that is what,
24:43we are demanding.
24:44With no central,
24:45say whatsoever.
24:46So,
24:47actually,
24:48India is the idea of,
24:49union,
24:50right?
24:50So,
24:51every state,
24:51it will contribute,
24:52for the,
24:53central government.
24:54Actually,
24:55we should not say,
24:56the word central.
24:56We should say,
24:57the word union.
24:58It should listen,
24:59to the states.
25:00But,
25:00what the thing,
25:01really happening is,
25:02they are trying,
25:03to impose something,
25:04what they think,
25:05to the states.
25:06They are not even,
25:07listening to the,
25:07voices of the state.
25:09For example,
25:10in Tamil Nadu,
25:11for more than a decade,
25:13we are continuously,
25:15fighting against,
25:16need.
25:16We don't want,
25:17need exam.
25:18The state doesn't want.
25:19Even a new,
25:20political party,
25:21in Tamil Nadu,
25:22they are also,
25:23keeping this demand,
25:24as their,
25:26electoral things,
25:26and all,
25:27everything.
25:27So,
25:28the central government,
25:29is not even,
25:30listening to the,
25:30voices of people.
25:31They are trying,
25:32to impose,
25:32what they think.
25:33So,
25:34we are resisting that.
25:35If the curriculum,
25:36everything,
25:36has been decided,
25:37by the,
25:38union government,
25:39we,
25:40see,
25:40India is a subcontinent.
25:42It's not,
25:42belong to one language,
25:44or one religion,
25:45or,
25:45or,
25:45one particular identity.
25:47So,
25:48every voice,
25:49to be heard,
25:50and also,
25:50think about the students,
25:51from the tribal community,
25:53from the mountains.
25:54They don't,
25:55even have,
25:56proper,
25:57transportation facility.
25:59the curriculum,
26:01doesn't,
26:02suit for them.
26:03Then,
26:04the government,
26:04the state government,
26:05needs to,
26:06think about them,
26:07and they need to,
26:08change the curriculum.
26:09But,
26:10the central government,
26:10is giving a particular curriculum,
26:12and imposing,
26:13all the,
26:15superficial things,
26:16like,
26:16it doesn't,
26:17suit for Tamil Nadu.
26:18We think that.
26:19Can you,
26:19hyper-localize education,
26:21in that manner,
26:22in the way,
26:22that should be done,
26:23that should be done.
26:24We are,
26:26education should be decentralized.
26:29Definitely,
26:30there are so many languages in Tamil Nadu,
26:32not even one language.
26:33If you go to the south,
26:35they will speak different language,
26:36not different languages.
26:37So,
26:38education should be decentralized.
26:40And also,
26:41so many questions about,
26:42union has,
26:44came out.
26:45Shravan talked about,
26:46the DUSU election,
26:47that I can quote,
26:48HCU election.
26:49SFI led panel,
26:51won,
26:51all the,
26:52major posts.
26:53Even in Kerala election,
26:54also,
26:55school education,
26:57I mean,
26:57school election,
26:58college election,
26:59university,
27:00polytechnic,
27:00everything.
27:01SFI got majority of the seat.
27:03Here in southern state,
27:04I think,
27:05ABBPA,
27:06is in nota condition one.
27:08So,
27:09there are,
27:10I get it,
27:10I get it.
27:11You are saying that,
27:11you know,
27:12DUSU doesn't decide exactly,
27:13what's happening across the country.
27:14the entire country.
27:15Delhi University is one of the important universities.
27:18Now also,
27:19the girls from Delhi University,
27:21they are fighting for the women's safety,
27:23and they are protesting there.
27:25That was happening in the Delhi.
27:26But,
27:27what the,
27:27exactly some students union,
27:29like ABBP is doing,
27:30like,
27:31they are,
27:31with the money power,
27:32and muscle power,
27:33they are trying to,
27:36I mean,
27:37infiltrate the election results,
27:40like,
27:41Vijay also said that,
27:42all the vice chancellors are RSS people.
27:46Then,
27:46how fair the elections would be?
27:48That's not all,
27:50questions coming out,
27:51no?
27:51Aloshis,
27:52do you think so too?
27:53Do you think that there is,
27:54a challenge because it's not a level playing field,
27:56even in student politics?
27:58Yeah,
27:58yeah,
27:58definitely.
28:00Before that,
28:00I just want to add one thing.
28:02As we know,
28:03India is a country with,
28:04diversities,
28:05but the,
28:05central government for the couple of years,
28:07what they are doing is,
28:08they are trying to centralize,
28:10everything.
28:11What she told,
28:12what she told is,
28:13actually right.
28:14Majority of the,
28:15universities are having these,
28:17RSS led vice chancellors.
28:19They are trying to,
28:21destroying the education system of that particular state.
28:24That's what actually happening.
28:26The,
28:26Wilson,
28:28actually,
28:28the interest of these,
28:30RSS,
28:30or the central government,
28:32are,
28:32they are trying to impose over the,
28:34state education sector.
28:36Even,
28:36even though the education comes under the concurrent list,
28:39the central is actually,
28:41not doing,
28:43any favor in this regard.
28:44There's a constant criticism that comes up,
28:47Shravan.
28:47Yeah,
28:47actually.
28:47That vice chancellors,
28:49have a certain leaning,
28:51in the country now.
28:53That they're all RSS backed.
28:55And so that's dangerous also,
28:57in college campuses.
28:59I don't think it's the,
29:01Rashtriya,
29:02Swaimsevak Sangor,
29:03Agil Bharatiya,
29:04Vidyarati Varishud,
29:05who is appointing the vice chancellor.
29:06There is a,
29:08procedure,
29:08if you all know,
29:09there is a UGC search committee,
29:10will be there.
29:11They will be deciding,
29:12the who the,
29:13under the government,
29:14first thing.
29:14Yeah.
29:15And the second thing,
29:16because this is the vague,
29:18argument that the,
29:19always SFI and the NSUI,
29:21the other opposite organization,
29:23used to raise.
29:24It's the,
29:25Sophranization of the academic campuses,
29:27Sophranization.
29:28If,
29:29that is the case,
29:31ABVP,
29:32would have,
29:33winning,
29:33all the university elections,
29:35if we have the administrative support,
29:36everywhere.
29:38You said that,
29:39you know,
29:40ABVP is not everywhere.
29:41If they are holding,
29:42and you know,
29:42controlling the elections,
29:44that wouldn't be the case.
29:46Even in Tamil Nadu also,
29:48they are deciding,
29:49who should be in that search committee.
29:52The people,
29:53Garner,
29:54Garner is deciding,
29:55actually there is a rule in Tamil Nadu,
29:58but the governor,
29:59he is a,
30:00RSS people in Tamil Nadu,
30:02also in Caroline,
30:03many states,
30:04they are deciding,
30:04whom should be in that search committee.
30:06And they are increasing,
30:07the number of members,
30:08in the search committee,
30:10and they are trying to,
30:12send the,
30:12RSS people in the search committee.
30:14Then,
30:14how can it be fair?
30:16That's what the question,
30:17we are asking.
30:18So,
30:18you know,
30:19the last 10 minutes,
30:19I'll come back to you,
30:20Dravan,
30:20I know you want to respond to all of them.
30:22In the last 10 minutes,
30:23I think one of the questions,
30:25that constantly comes up,
30:26is what does Gen Z want?
30:27What does Gen Z want?
30:28Vijay,
30:29we've seen of course,
30:30the people,
30:31youngsters came out in such large numbers,
30:33on the NEET issue.
30:35But,
30:35overall picture,
30:36when it comes to education,
30:38what's in the curriculum,
30:39what's in the syllabus,
30:40what are the issues they want addressed,
30:42do they know about it?
30:43Is the Gen Z serious,
30:45about carrying forward,
30:46this mission of transforming education?
30:48They absolutely are.
30:49If you see,
30:50the kind of response,
30:52that we have got,
30:52to the school TKRO campaign,
30:54and not just the school TKRO campaign,
30:55we've got immense response,
30:57from Gen Alpha.
30:58School kids are sitting on protest,
31:00demanding for better facilities.
31:02We've seen that across UP,
31:03Bihar,
31:04and recently in Telangana,
31:05the polytechnic students,
31:06have sit on protest,
31:07demanding for their,
31:08for their polytechnic colleges,
31:10not to be merged,
31:11into skilled university.
31:12And this is not limited,
31:13to just BJP rule states,
31:14this is happening across the country.
31:16And,
31:17one more aspect,
31:19that we are,
31:19as CJP focusing,
31:21is on women's safety.
31:22And,
31:23we find,
31:24a lot of,
31:25you know,
31:26governments,
31:26that have,
31:27very repeatedly,
31:28given very disgraceful remarks,
31:30when such incidents happened.
31:32We remember,
31:33back in 2021,
31:34incident in Goa,
31:36happened on a beach,
31:37and,
31:38then CM said,
31:40what are they doing,
31:41at that time of the night,
31:42on the beach?
31:42The West Bengal Chief Minister,
31:44had said,
31:45girls shouldn't go out of campuses,
31:47during late nights.
31:49Samajwadi Party,
31:50supremo leader,
31:51back in 2014,
31:52had said,
31:52boys will be boys,
31:53if they do a mistake,
31:54will you hang them?
31:55So,
31:55this kind of,
31:56you know,
31:58misogynistic statements,
31:59are being rejected,
32:00and,
32:01the CJP,
32:02would like to focus more,
32:03on women's safety,
32:04and bring,
32:06organizations across the country,
32:08to,
32:08you know,
32:09highlight this issue.
32:10What has changed,
32:11though,
32:11post the CJP protest?
32:13Sure,
32:14the issue resonated,
32:15with the,
32:16youngsters,
32:17but,
32:17there was a certain cliche,
32:18attached to the generation,
32:20that,
32:20you know,
32:20they're not politically aware,
32:21they're not aware,
32:22of what's happening around them.
32:23Do you think that mindset has changed?
32:25Are they more active now,
32:27over what's happening in the country?
32:28Absolutely,
32:29they're,
32:29they're much more active.
32:30You can see it,
32:31it could be on social media,
32:32it could be on ground.
32:34They are,
32:35basically fearless,
32:36is what I can say.
32:37We have seen,
32:38people be,
32:39like,
32:39what more can you see,
32:40after July 20th?
32:42Right?
32:42That's like the doomsday for us.
32:44We have seen the worst of it.
32:45Now,
32:46I don't think even the government,
32:47would be foolish enough,
32:48to do something like that again.
32:50So,
32:51we have seen the worst,
32:52now we are only seeing,
32:53what more can we do,
32:54if we all,
32:55you know,
32:56come together,
32:57and,
32:58you're going to witness that,
32:59on October 2nd,
33:00in Mumbai.
33:02Okay.
33:02So,
33:03it's going to be,
33:04in two days from now.
33:05my concern with the governments,
33:07across the states,
33:08is they try to,
33:09you know,
33:10make police,
33:10as their private mafia.
33:12When a government,
33:13wants to organize,
33:14their protest,
33:15the party in power,
33:16they get all the permissions.
33:17The same,
33:18Shivaji Park,
33:19had a meeting,
33:19held by Mr. Eknath Shinde,
33:21a couple of months back.
33:22Whereas,
33:23when we want to do it,
33:23there is no permission.
33:24They'll find,
33:25some sort of order,
33:27from some high court back,
33:28you know,
33:28which was,
33:29dated five or six years back.
33:30So,
33:31this kind of,
33:31dissent,
33:32that is being suppressed,
33:34the voice,
33:34that is being taken out,
33:35censorship on social media.
33:37And across states,
33:37you see.
33:37Across states.
33:38It happens,
33:39it happened in Telangana,
33:40we wanted to protest,
33:41and we were not given permission.
33:42And so,
33:43it happened in Keralam,
33:44when people were protesting here,
33:47while the,
33:47for the need protests,
33:48they were also charged with cases here.
33:50Right?
33:51So,
33:51any party that's come to power,
33:53all they want to do is abuse the police force.
33:56No,
33:56but why is that?
33:57Rajay,
33:57do you think that there's a sense of fear among political parties of the youth?
34:01Of course there is,
34:03because all the political parties,
34:05as I said in my opening remarks,
34:07they are anti-student,
34:09and they are against the education,
34:11real education.
34:12See,
34:13for example,
34:14Karnataka,
34:14there is Congress government.
34:15They are opposed to NEP.
34:17On paper,
34:18they are opposed to NEP.
34:19But they are implementing school closure and merger,
34:22more beautifully,
34:24to quote,
34:25beautifully,
34:26than BJP governments in other states.
34:28They are going to shut down 40,000 governments,
34:31schools in Karnataka.
34:32This is what Congress is doing.
34:34You take any other state,
34:36all are opposing.
34:37If you take the parties,
34:38they oppose NEP on paper.
34:40But they are implementing whatever is there in NEP,
34:43in their own states.
34:44So,
34:44why they will allow student movement in their states?
34:47Just like he said,
34:48in Hyderabad,
34:49we have been trying since two months,
34:51to get permission to protest against this polytechnic policy.
34:55Since two months we are fighting,
34:57we are not getting permission to protest.
34:59Already,
34:59you know,
35:00in all the,
35:00these cities like Hyderabad,
35:03Bangalore,
35:03Mumbai,
35:04only designated protest sites are there.
35:06You cannot just hold a rally anywhere,
35:09like in Calcutta or in Kerala maybe.
35:11In all these,
35:12only designated places,
35:13and they don't allow for protest.
35:15You may not agree with it,
35:17but you are not allowing for protest,
35:19because all these parties,
35:20are combined,
35:21in attacking the public education system.
35:24Or scared of the youth.
35:26Scared of the youth is what you are saying.
35:27They are extremely scared of youth.
35:29They do allow the protest if it's against their rival party though.
35:33So,
35:34they are very,
35:34very selective.
35:35Now,
35:35if I want to protest against ECI,
35:37they will give me a permission.
35:38But if I want to protest against what the state government is doing,
35:41they will have a lot of…
35:42Pick the issue.
35:43Yeah.
35:43They handpick it.
35:44They handpick it.
35:45All the state governments.
35:46It's very interesting,
35:47when the CGP members and the ADSO members were seeking for permission from the government,
35:53I think ABVP Telangana has did more than 15 protests in last one month.
35:58Even government denied the permission,
36:00but for student protests,
36:01whether it is the polytechnic issue,
36:03whether it is the stipend increase issue of the Ayurvedic student,
36:08whether it is the fee reimbursement and scholarship issue in Telangana,
36:11we were in the ground from last one month.
36:15And just citing…
36:15But you didn't get permission.
36:17We didn't get permission.
36:18But we still did.
36:19Because it's for the student.
36:20There's a common thread here then,
36:22irrespective.
36:22And I will give you one more example.
36:26Because irrespective of the permission,
36:28we have supported the Ayurveda doctors of the state.
36:32Now the stipend for them has got increased.
36:35Revendrethi government was pressurized
36:37to at least release some of the pending fee reimbursement,
36:41and scholarship due to the force ABVP has put forth towards the government.
36:47These are just citing examples.
36:49So then ultimately, Aloshis,
36:51all political parties are the same,
36:53and therefore there is this trickle-down effect, right,
36:55onto the student unions also,
36:57irrespective of which party you are linked to.
36:59No, no.
37:00It can't be told like this.
37:03Because in Kerala,
37:04even if we take the case of Kerala,
37:07whichever the government,
37:08either left or the UDF government are in power,
37:10they are always giving the permissions for this all kind of the protest.
37:14But what happens actually,
37:16if the protest is going in an undemocratic manner,
37:20or if the students,
37:22they are raising some kind of violence in the protest and all,
37:28so the government must act on that.
37:30No, but if they're seeking permission for a protest,
37:33Ajay gave you examples where they're seeking permission for a protest.
37:37But I think in most of the states where the BJP are ruling,
37:42they're actually afraid of that,
37:43I'm thinking,
37:44that's my point.
37:44He's from Karnataka.
37:45But I'm not aware about that particular issue,
37:49because without being aware about that,
37:51I can't tell about it.
37:53Ajay,
37:54it's because it's violent that permission is not granted.
37:57No, government decides which protest is democratic,
38:00which protest is undemocratic.
38:02If it is against the government,
38:04it is undemocratic.
38:05If it is against the opposition party,
38:07then it is democratic.
38:08So government is deciding.
38:10So here,
38:11what I feel is,
38:12of course,
38:13protest is needed.
38:14Of course,
38:15student union elections are required.
38:17But what AIDSO,
38:18we believe is,
38:20ideology is needed for the students.
38:22Today,
38:23one sort of fashion has developed,
38:24that we do not want ideology in a movement.
38:27Without ideology,
38:29you cannot build a sustained student struggle.
38:32The student struggle should sustain.
38:34What we saw...
38:35It's issue based.
38:36It can be issue based.
38:37It doesn't have to be ideology based.
38:39No,
38:39you have to have an ideology.
38:41See what Bhagat Singh said.
38:42He has written an essay,
38:44Students and Politics.
38:45That student should have to study.
38:47What Subharshan Rabos has said in his speeches,
38:50on student movement and education policies.
38:53That student should have to study.
38:55You are shouting slogan,
38:57Jai Beem,
38:57Inkalab Zindabad,
38:59or some slogans.
39:00All these slogans carry an ideology.
39:02There is nothing without an ideology.
39:05So you have to build a movement,
39:06which should be a sustained struggle.
39:08What an example I gave of Karnataka,
39:11against the school closure and merger.
39:13We have built a movement for more than 10 months now.
39:16And 1 lakh people have involved.
39:18More than 1000 villages.
39:20We have formed committees.
39:21People are fighting.
39:22So government has not been able to implement the policies.
39:26So only one-off event.
39:28Protests should not become an event.
39:31That is what we feel.
39:33Vridula,
39:34final word to you.
39:35As the only woman in this panel.
39:38Very often now it's seen as student politics.
39:41It's something that brings together,
39:43as he said,
39:44an event manager of sort,
39:45where you just hold a protest.
39:47How much of it emerges from a parent political party?
39:50Is it too much of influence from a parent political party?
39:53No,
39:54no,
39:54not like that.
39:55Actually,
39:56the thing I have to say here is,
40:00if you ask about the ideology things and all,
40:04what I want to say is,
40:06if you go through the issue,
40:08like,
40:08why I'm not getting my scholarship,
40:11why I'm not getting education,
40:12why I'm not getting job.
40:14That is issue.
40:15But what the real problem is?
40:17Neoliberal policy.
40:19After the LPG,
40:20the government is not serving for the public.
40:23The government is,
40:24I mean,
40:25serving for the corporates.
40:27So,
40:28they are opening the private universities,
40:30they are opening the private colleges,
40:32and the rights of the students have been stolen by,
40:35I mean,
40:36stole by these corporates.
40:38So,
40:39without ideology,
40:40if we go to the issues,
40:42if we talk about the issues,
40:43it won't be settled.
40:45At least it can be compromised in some situation.
40:49The issue cannot be solved.
40:51So,
40:51ideology is very,
40:53very important,
40:53and like states in Tamil Nadu also,
40:57we are facing the same problem.
40:59We don't have students union election,
41:01and the conditions of the hostels are very,
41:04very poor in our states also.
41:06So,
41:07we are also facing the same problem here.
41:09What would your pitch be,
41:10of why there is a need for democracy in campuses?
41:13Yeah,
41:14actually,
41:14we need democracy in campuses.
41:16Even,
41:17the condition of campuses right now in Tamil Nadu is worst.
41:21Like,
41:22in every gunman college,
41:24there will be a police patrol,
41:25and they will be minding the students,
41:27why you are keeping your hair like this,
41:29why you are dressed up like this.
41:30They will handle the students in the colleges of Tamil Nadu.
41:35Why democracy is important in the campuses means,
41:38there only students can discuss about other things.
41:42Like,
41:43in student community,
41:45we won't think about ourselves.
41:47We will think about the others in the society.
41:49Like,
41:49if you turn out the pages of history,
41:52many young minds have transformed the society,
41:55like Bhagat Singh,
41:55like Koyli,
41:56like Tripur Kumaran.
41:57Many of them contributed for the society.
42:00So,
42:00if that discussion is not happening in the campuses,
42:04they are only focusing on their self,
42:07and how I can improve in my life,
42:09that won't help any,
42:11I mean,
42:11that won't help society.
42:12So,
42:14democratic space is very,
42:15very important to realize our own rights,
42:18and also for the transformation of the society.
42:23Like,
42:23we are not protesting for power.
42:25You just keep the topic like protest to power.
42:28We are not protesting for power.
42:30We are demanding our basic right,
42:32which our constitution promises us.
42:35Article 43,
42:3641,
42:37they promise the right to education,
42:39right to employment,
42:41and,
42:4243 stands for the basic living wages.
42:46That's what,
42:47in Noida,
42:48the young labors,
42:49they started the protest there.
42:50So,
42:50we are protesting for our livelihood,
42:53not for the power.
42:55Like,
42:55to career politicians,
42:56power means MP,
42:58MLA,
42:58councillor,
42:59but not for us.
43:00I mean,
43:01power means...
43:02It's not an avenue to mainstream politics?
43:04No,
43:04no,
43:05not like that.
43:06It's an opportunity.
43:07If I get that opportunity,
43:09I'll make it as an opportunity to serve the public.
43:11But,
43:12for career politicians,
43:14it's like labels,
43:16they want to...
43:16I think there's a definition of power that we must give here.
43:19Protest to power.
43:20Power could also be
43:21that you have the power to make your voice heard.
43:24And I think that's where,
43:25essentially,
43:26this conversation stems from.
43:28That in college campuses,
43:29democracy is essential,
43:30because then your voice is heard.
43:33Ideologies are important,
43:34because then you're shaping the sense of what really,
43:37in future,
43:38issues will matter,
43:39what issues matter to you.
43:41And so,
43:41that's where ideology also comes in.
43:43Thank you all,
43:44very much,
43:44for joining us here,
43:45the India Today Conclave.