Student Dissenters; an Insight

When a major fraction of the intelligentsia in our country is threatened with inflammatory statements such as by a BJP MLA that he would ask the cops to shoot the intellectuals if he was the CM, are  instances of disturbance and agitation.  Unfortunately  such  pure  seditions  attain  comfy  in  the  largest  democracy  that  brags  of  acceptance, tolerance and harmony. But it is an undeniable fact that the mental health of a large fragment of sane, concerned and politically aware student community is deteriorating day by day.

Much more slanderous comments from a section that is not so glad with criticisms can be expected in this  period. The evident example is the tagging students, activists and intellectuals as anti-nationals from the very beginning of any kind of resistance and movements.

In such complexities, the student population is probably in a predicament on which way to choose. Shall they blindly obey by being mere puppets of any governmental policies or being to contribute to the democratic process of own country by ones freedom to dissent and express. The present political scenario suggests the former to be the safest, and  yet  quite  a  section  of  the  student  population  is  choosing  the  latter  not  surrendering  to  all  that  the  ruling dispensation make us believe.

There  was  such  an  Instance,  in  the  beginning  of  this  academic  year  when  the  students  upheld  “vargeeyatha thulayatte"  (Let  communalism  be  destroyed)   in  remembrance  of  Comrade  Abhimanyu  whose  life  was  taken  by communal forces  for scribbling  the  same  on the walls  of Maharajas  college,  Ernakulam.Again  Campuses  in  Kerala tossed out the sprouting of fascistic traits when comrade OS Vishak’s death was sadistically ridiculed.  When Anjitha K  Jose  ,  student  of  Sreekeralavarma  voiced  against  the  blatant  gender  discrimination  in  hostel  rules,  challenging patriarchy by approaching the HC with a writ petition ; it fostered the vivid relevance of students being vocal about issues .

Knowing  who  is   the  oppressor  and  the  oppressed,   neutrality  is   not  the  way   forward.  The  diplomacy   that compromises to the regressive norms is more like succumbing to them. This political apathy, ignorance and privilege should no longer exist. There had been Student initiatives like “Your lawyer friend”, a legal aid for students proving that  the  grooming of  political  consciousness,  legal  awareness  and  knowing  of our  rights  are  brilliantly  possible  at student level. Promising Student icons like Sumeet Samos with conscious political acumen uses art a form of dissent.

Its hightime we  nurture the  thoughtful student community,  protect  their sophisticated viewpoints. This has to  be brought  to  the  attention  of  a  ruling  regime  with  conscience,  to  prevent  the  assassination  of  ideas  and  to  not hogwash student movements with insensitive measures. The accommodation of student unions would transform the face of India as educated community deserves space in every policy making and execution. We  can’t bear to lose more  Rohith  Vemulas,  We  can’t  stand  injustice,  for  we  shall  overcome.Let  dissent,  democracy  and  justice  only prevail.