Students’ unions await resurrection

Even though education was made a provincial subject in the 18th Amendment and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani also announced the restoration of students’ union in 2008, the future looks bleak and many students’ rights activists have demanded of the government to revive the unions in educational institutions. Leaders of students’ unions were of the opinion that Pakistan People’s Party’s tenure was nearing its end and they were still to implement the very first announcement that they made after getting the vote of confidence from the parliament.
UNIONS, YESTERDAY AND TODAY: Students’ organisations and unions have existed even long before the creation of Pakistan in 1947. Muslim Students’ Federation (MSF), a student wing of then-Pakistan Muslim League, even played an important role in the partition. Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF) and Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) were formed in 1948 and 1949.
Over the years, students’ unions were either created under the auspice of political parties or automatically joined hands with parties closest to their ‘ideology’. The MSF, for example, has as many factions as the PML, IJT is associated with the JI, the Peoples Students Federation (PSF), with socialist tendencies, has its roots in Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and recently, the Insaaf Student Federation is connected with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf.
Some organisations were also formed on ethnic lines such as the Pakhtun Students’ Federation (PkSF), the Baloch Students’ Organisation (BSO), the Punjabi Students’ Federation, the Sindhi Students Federation and the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisations (APMSO).
Many renowned political leaders, including Mukhdom Javaid Hashmi, Mushahid Ullah Khan, Ch Ghulam Abbas, Jahangir Badar, Saad Rafique and Liaquat Baloch are former members of students’ unions. By the 90’s, wings of nearly all students’ unions were present in various colleges and universities of the country. Students also actively participated in the elections that were held at that time. However, it is interesting to note that the rise of students’ unions nearly always overlapped with the rise of violence and hooliganism on varsities.
After the PM announced the lifting of ban on unions, a Higher Education Commission taskforce consisting of vice chancellors of four major universities of the country was set up to present recommendations and a schedule for elections. The team filed its recommendations in 2009 but no development was made in this regard.
“Students’ union played an important role in the Pakistan movement and they should be restored immediately. My union, MSF, is present in all leading institutions of the country and we would want the government to hold elections,” said Lahore MSF President Sunny.
“PPP and PML-N governments have used the unions to achieve their own end whereas PTI looks at unions as an opportunity for students to take leadership roles. We will definitely support the revival and the promotion of students’ unions in institutions,” said Punjab Insaf Students Federations (ISF) President Farukh Habib.
“Unions should not be serving the aims of political parties and they should be helping students and resolving their problems like they do in other countries,” a social observer said.