Editor's Pick

Reshaping student politics

13 February 2010, 18:00 PM
EDITORIAL
Iftekhar iqbal

Students should have the right to voice their concerns. Photo: Munir Uz Zaman/ Drik News

BANGLADESH never had real student politics. Instead, what the student community did in 1952, the 1960s, 1971 and 1990 was much bigger, bolder and glorious than real student politics. Though they used different political forums, students united to serve their nation in its most trying moment, for national interest and democratisation. The Oxford-Cambridge style of student representational activity may offer insight on what student politics is, and how it can be practiced on Bangladesh campuses. I refer to Cambridge, whose student politics is impressive and Dhaka University, which was fashioned on the Oxbridge model. Cambridge offers activities in which students work together to assert their rights and get their voices heard, remaining aloof from petty party politics as reflected in their representation, academics, practical and cultural activities. Regarding the institutional arrangement of representation, little difference exists between Cambridge and DU. Both have a collegiate-residential system, student bodies in the colleges (halls, in the case DU) and a central student union, the Cambridge one being called CUSU (Cambridge University Students' Union). Both are theoretically concerned with student well-being. Yet, DU student politics remains diametrically opposite of what is practiced at Cambridge. Since independence, only DU has seen an average of two students murdered every year, prompting suggestions to de-link "student politics" from national politics. However, "banning" or "de-linking" student politics may not solve this problem and instead, may create confusion and chaos, frustrating all good intentions. Instead, the student community's power and potential should be unleashed through "real" student politics. When students are engaged and given space, party-politics among them will eventually weaken and disperse. For instance, major UK political parties are active on the Cambridge campus, but they have no institutional voice in the CUSU. How do we get non-political students represented? First, DUCSU's federal nature must be restored. This requires forming a hall committee, electing a representative body for each hall, which elects the DUCSU central committee. The tenure of the elected student body at both hall and DUCSU levels should be one year. Elections should be synchronised between hall and the DUCSU committees so they work simultaneously. Once elections are held, and a DUCSU committee formed, the latter should not be the ultimate decision-maker. Instead, there should be a council of representatives, consisting of all elected hall committee presidents. Even better is having two hall committees, one of undergraduate students and the other of all graduate students. Though the DUCSU committee is the central administrative body, the council, represented by the halls, should provide checks and balances to decentralise power and dampen the desire for central positions. This way, a council member participating in the central decision-making process should be satisfied in his/her hall activities as a "political" territory. Secondly, no student should run twice for presidential positions at both DUCSU and hall levels. Thirdly, an expenditure ceiling should be set during all elections, so that poorer students get an equal opportunity to run. Obviously, election campaigns should not involve ideology, but broad, relevant issues, relating to academic, practical and socio-cultural activities. A candidate or panel of candidates should run on respective election manifestos relating to those areas. Once elections are over and DUCSU and hall committees are formed, elected members should immediately start realising their election pledges. The DUCSU should have an academic committee, represented by different university faculty, and its president. DU authorities should officially involve a DUCSU academic committee representative in important academic matters. One may recall that in recent efforts to introduce a semester and grading system, student representation was not ensured. In addition, DUCSU should have a subcommittee headed by a female student who looks into problems relating exclusively to the university's female students. A separate committee should arrange and oversee entertainment events on campus. Cambridge has over 500 various clubs and societies, with CUSU offering them practical support in some way. DUCSU should encourage forming and sustaining such societies. For instance, students can form a Dhaka University Society for Creative Writing, or Dhaka University Society for Non-Violence etc. Similar Dhaka University societies exist, but can be brought under the DUCSU. Publication is a very important student empowerment tool. CUSU's main mouthpiece is The Cambridge Student (TCS), an editorially independent weekly. The paper's aim is to provide: * High quality news, features, sports, and coverage of events and relevant issues for the student body; * A platform for open debate and discussion. * An opportunity for students to gain and develop journalism and newspaper management experience. We need to positively change campus politics without deviating from democratic practices. If we abruptly cut party politics on campuses, it will germinate again. Instead, we need to stop feeding it so it dies from the root. We can do this by vigorously campaigning for "real" student politics. The decline of campus party politics should not be insulting or alarming to mainstream political parties. National parties should support the rise of a non-party political regime on campuses, even if it requires temporarily neutralising their student wings. When non-political student leaders train in appropriate campus politics, they will be assets as post-campus-life leaders for all national political parties. Realising the issue's importance and an informed decision from national political parties is crucial.
The central academic committee should look into various academic issues including: * Hosting academic seminars and workshops for students and faculty (It was a pleasant surprise to discover in the British Library that Abul Hossain, a Dhaka University economics lecturer, presented a paper in 1927 on "The Problem of Rivers in Bengal" right at the DUCSU!). * Informing prospective students of various aspects of university life. * Introducing new students to university facilities. * Supplying and making available books and related study material in libraries. * Dealing with any problems that students have with their teachers or supervisors. * Managing complaints that students might have regarding university examinations and supervisions. * Any other issues that affect students' academic performance.
The DUCSU, by appropriate institutional arrangement, should look into the following: * Assisting university administration in allocating hall seats justly and fairly. * Supporting students with disabilities. * Ensuring hygienic and appropriate food in the hall and campus-wide canteens. * Ensuring physical and sexual safety of students on campus. * Keeping campus clean and environment-friendly. * Ensuring that campus and halls remain drug-free. * Ensuring that the university medical establishment offers standard medical services. * Providing career counselling for departing students, * Providing photocopy, computing and electronic services. * Providing student ID and discount cards, among others. Iftekhar Iqbal is a Professor in the History Department, University of Dhaka.

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