The universities like AMU, JNU, BHU, DU and UoH (University of Hyderabad), are the breeding grounds of students’ politics in India. Since independence student unions have been active in Indian universities, and their functions often include responsibility for cultural and social programs. As India is a land of culture assimilation and includes lots of diversities, so they hold programs to enlighten the students. But on the other hand it provides a link between the administration and students in building the regulations. Sometimes, agitations and protests organized by student unions usually stem from local issues, such as university examination policies, hikes in college fees, living conditions, and the like, but in most cases students’ unions are controlled by ideological factions attempting to use the union as a base of operations against an opposition political group within or outside the university. Many a times the political parties use these unions to fulfill their political motives.
Recently, on September 29th, University of Hyderabad an ideological hub for many organizations went through Students’ Union Election. For the last two years the students’ union was led by Students’ Federation of India (SFI), a left oriented organization which had been working for the betterment of student community and had done many works like protecting the University’s land from real estate encroachment, fee hike in professional and non-professional courses, installment of RO plants in various hostels and public places as well for student’s hygiene. On the other side, there were serious failures which ended up relegating them the 3rd position in this election. To mention some, carelessness in dealing with the students’ problem, delaying of proposed work as promised in their last election manifesto, early entrance examination, tender problem, food problems in all messes, fellowship grants from the University suggested by Anantha Krishnan Committee (2012) to Rs.1000, and improper medical facilities are the causes of their ignominious debacle this time. It was seen that among the student community there was a high tempo to change the regime from left to something new, this was another reason this time to set them aside.
But who superseded them is an amalgam of different ideologies is United Democratic Alliance (UDA) which came into effect last year by the assimilation of Ambedkar Students’ Association (ASA), Bahujan Students’ Front (BSF), Tribal Students’ Front (TSF) and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). It was formed with a constructive vision and understanding between students group that largely works for, and represents the Bahujan voices autonomously. This alliance articulates the democratic expression of socially and culturally marginalized and minority students in the campus beyond the mainstream Left-Right campus polemics. They were united by the name of Democracy, Social Justice and Emancipation.
This alliance materializes this time by securing three important posts in the Students’ Union Poll- Vincent Benny (President), B.Daniel (General Secretary) and Suma Lavanya .M (Cultural secretary). Last time UDA managed to win only Vice-president’s seat. One seat by SFI, Anil. G.R (Vice-President) and two by ABVP Pranav.K (Joint Sec.) and Ruthvik Chowla (Sports Sec.). And the new born State Telangana also gave birth to another party in campus i.e. Telangana Rashtra Samithi Vidyarthi Vibhagham (TRSV) which also participated but failed to get any seat. It was a great challenge for them to land and win in this University where election are not fought on the ground of local issues but on ideological basis.
Now, the future of HCU is in the hands of UDA who made so many promises before the student community. Some of them are:
- Revoke Early Entrance Examination Policy.
- Ensure a better campus for Differently Abled students.
- Ensure filling up of seats in all courses and Programs.
- Ensure Effective functioning of Equal Opportunity Cell targeting Caste/Gender/Racial Discrimination.
- Curb fee hike for professional courses.
- Construction of New Hostels.
- Ensure separate reading room for South Campus.
- To solve the food problems in all Hostels.
- Ensure protection of University Land.
- Ensure effective working of GS-CASH and Placement Cell.
They were really successful in convincing the student to get vote but let’s see, will they be able to keep their promises? Now the environment of the campus is expected to change, the topics of discussions too are expected to change, because they have come to bring changes on the Campus, without getting influenced by the Left, Right either.
“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today”……….by Malcolm X
