Student union elections give young people the first taste of democracy and activism in Indian universities. With Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University going to polls on September 9 for their student unions, it is time for fierce rivalries, loads of promises, recall of achievements and stories of friendship from the contenders.
Planning and preparing for a massive campus election such as the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) or Jawaharlal Nehru Students’ Union (JNUSU) is a herculean task. It involves hard work, hectic schedules, marathon meetings and planning sessions, campaigning strategies and much more. Says Saket Bahuguna, national convener, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), “Once we choose that we want to be student activists, we have to understand that there is no ‘me time’ that we should expect. Being a student activist is not restricted to the elections. We have to work round-the-clock on issues raised by the students. Universities such as DU and JNU are the centre of campus activism with a number of student issues that need immediate attention and resolution.”
Achievements galore
{{/usCountry}}Achievements galore
{{/usCountry}}Bahuguna, who is a research scholar in linguistics at Delhi University, says, that since ABVP has been doing well in the DUSU polls in the last few years, especially in 2015 winning all four seats, expectations have increased. “During elections, money, muscle power and the government – all come into force. Some of our major achievements include the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) rollback, reintroduction of re-evaluation and supplementary exams in DU etc. We have to select candidates who can strike a chord with the students and treat their problems as theirs. A number of issues such as FYUP rollback required taking on the university administration, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the HRD ministry. We created a lot of pressure through signature campaigns, class-to-class campaigns and social media.”
Besides DU, ABVP is also gaining a stronghold in JNUSU after making its presence felt in the last few polls. Students’ Federation of India (SFI), another major player on the block, was the first student body that brought out a critique on the National Policy on Education that was framed in 1986.
“We had a major role to play in pushing the UGC to start merit-cum-means scholarships for the first time in 2002 in JNU. We have had a legacy of containing the democratic culture of campuses through our movements. We want to fight for equality on campuses. Rollback of the Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan in Himachal Pradesh University and fight for democracy on campuses such as in the recent case of Hyderabad Central University are other examples. We were the first student organisation to force implementation of GSCASH (Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment) at JNU. SFI was in the forefront in the 80s when there was a huge fight for hostels in JNU,” says Prashant Mukherjee, general secretary, SFI, who is also a research scholar at Delhi University’s School of Social Work.
The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) also boasts of a number of achievements in Delhi University. Angellica Aribam, national general secretary, NSUI, says, “This includes construction of Rajiv Gandhi Girls Hostel Complex which started during the time of NSUI-led DUSU in 2005 and was completed and made available to students from 2012 onwards. In 2010, NSUI took up the issue of making answer sheets available to the students on demand through RTI. As a result, the matter was taken up by the Supreme Court and a favourable judgment was given. Successful implementation of 27% reservation for OBC students in Delhi University since 2011 is another example.”
With the continuous efforts of NSUI-led DUSU, the university was forced to increase the DUSU fund from Rs 3.6 lakh to Rs 20 lakh in 2012 to enable more activities and ensure student welfare. NSUI has held sustained agitations and demonstrations for more hostels, special chance to improve scores and revaluation, she says.
Poll funding
Elaborating on the budget and expenditure of the candidates during polls, Aribam says it is borne by the organisation. SFI’S funds, on the other hand, are raised from mass dabba collection from students in and around colleges and also from teachers, says Mukherjee. “Our candidates don’t spend enough money, it is the organisation which spends. A number of students donate during election campaigns,” he says.
Bonding with rivals
While they may be at loggerheads during the polls, a number of rival candidates are friends. “We are all friends, political affiliations aside. In JNU, we all eat together and participate in activities together but are strong cadres of different parties. I have friends in the national committee of ABVP and they are national secretaries. We go out for coffee, have long chats etc. Similarly, I have friends in AISA and SFI too,” says Aribam, who is a final-year law student at DU. According to Om Prasad, national general secretary, AISA, there is good bonding among rivals. “This year, AISA and SFI are contesting elections together in JNUSU. We see this as a continuation of our ‘stand with JNU’ movement,” he says.