Student unions

It has been nearly four decades since the ban on student unions in Pakistan. It was in 1984 that the then military dictator General Ziaul Haq imposed a ban on student unions and all student activities in the country came to a grinding halt. Every year, February 9 is observed as a day to call for the restoration of student unions. This year too students across the country took out demonstrations in various cities to voice their demands. Despite announcements and promises by major political parties in the country, so far no federal or provincial government has been able to fully restore student unions. The current democratic spell in the country is in its 14th year and three different political parties assumed power in 2008, 2013, and 2018 with promises to solve students’ problems. None has delivered.

When the Zia regime banned student unions, it also criminalised student politics, depriving students of their democratic right to actively participate in discourse on the state of governance in their educational institutions and in the country at large. As a result, campuses became barren lands with little intellectual activities. Unfortunately, over the years, student unions came to be depicted as a source of unrest and even chaos on campus by successive governments. In reality, student unions can play a huge part not only in peacefully putting forward the issues faced by students but bringing them to the notice of administrations and discussing them in a manner that can lead towards resolution. The democratic process in the country could have benefitted from a continuation of student unions. Politics is all about how societies run their affairs, and student associations and unions serve as a nursery in democratic education for our young people.

With issues such as increasing privatisation of education, fee hikes, shortage of hostels, the digital divide, sexual harassment, and crackdown on dissent, Pakistan’s education institutions desperately need a revival of student politics that keeps the student at the centre of it all. Students should be part of any accountability mechanism established at educational institutions because they are the most significant stakeholders in the process of learning and teaching. So far only the Sindh government has said it would legislate a revival of student unions. Will other provinces follow? With elected unions students will be better able to raise their voice and challenge the injustices meted out to them. Perhaps that is the reason our decision-makers don’t want their restoration.