THOUSANDS of students marched through different cities
of the country on Friday to demand restoration of unions, which were banned by the then military ruler General Zia ul Haq in 1984. The march, backed by parents of the students and civil society activists, received messages of encouragement from several political leaders as well, indicating growing support for the demand.
The ban is in place for three and a half decades and it is time to have a thorough national debate whether the country was better off or worse off with or without student unions. Those favouring political activities at the campuses argue that these prove to be nurseries for democratic process and therefore, unions should be restored forthwith. There is no doubt that the country has several towering personalities in the political arena, which started their career as student activists. It is also argued that any real and new leadership will come from colleges and universities. There is also truth in the logic that different student unions throughout the history of Pakistan acted as catalyst and played an admirable role in various issues of important nature. It is said that in established democracies educational institutions are considered as the industries which provide finished products in the form of brilliant and mature leadership. Such leadership would bring greater depth to issues facing the country as leaders with educational background are likely to deliver in a better manner than traditional politicians. The unions also help safeguard rights and interests of students as they take care of needs of students from water, bus services and quality food in cafes to scheduling fee at campus. However, the opponents claim that presence of student unions leads to violence in campuses that disrupts the peaceful environment which is a must for pursuing studies. There is some truth in the claim as some unions became so strong, rather headstrong, that they took virtual control of all academic activities as well and nothing could be done in an educational institution without approval of the union. Political parties too have been using students to advance their own political objectives without consideration for the academic future of students. We believe that a final decision should be taken after analyzing all pros and cons and if the unions are to be restored, a clear cut framework for their conduct and operations should be laid down to forestall any negative fallout for academic activities or standard of education.
