Critically Analyzing the Revival of Student Unions in Balochistan

By: Fahad Baloch

Baloch Students Action Committee

It is believed that a student union – a very necessary factor for the stable student politics in a region, which the world except Pakistan is practicing it for the sustainability of student politics – has been banned in 1984 by General Zia Ul Haq, a Pakistani Army General and then Chief of the Pakistan Army Staff. From that day until now, there is no any stable student union including on campus student politics.

But we as Baloch assert that the ban is from the very first of the onset of a student organization, the Baloch Students Organization (BSO), which was confronted factions by divisions under a conspiracy to seize Baloch politics, particularly the student politics.

Additionally, NAP (National Awami Party) was banned in 1971, which lifted its unexpected impacts on actual politics. The factional divisions in BSO is assumed a political confliction, but I believe that it is plainly an ideological conflict, and I, too, am confident in saying that BSO has not been divided into factions, but it has refined the individuals committed with the ideology of BSO which was only nationalism.

Political Ground:

Now, a discussion is circulating in regard of revival of student union, which says the general interests of organisations’ member must be safe, and the affairs and issues being faced by students should be sorted out sooner. There is undoubtedly an acknowledgement of the union to be revived to secure and sustain student politics.

However, I also believe in union, but only belief is nothing practical. I go for the argument that before reviving the union, from Baloch’s perspective, there is need for the revival of student politics. Because it is student politics which performs the nursery of mass politics, and leads to the cause of need. It will also perform the duty of leadership for the nation struggling somehow.

From the Baloch perspective, prerequisite for now is the revival of student politics on and off campus, which will certainly assure the fulfillment of needs of students for a nation and a national struggle.

Even then, the same educational institutions, on one hand, get an affidavit to not participate in politics, and on the other hand, establishing their own groups in the name of student groups, which narrate that they will safeguard students’ rights.

Such as plentiful groups are operating in different institutions with different titles. I have personally witnessed all such groups which are now operating in University of Balochistan, LUAWMS Uthal, University of Turbat, University Law College Quetta, Khuzdar University of Engineering, and Balochistan University of Engineering and Management Sciences Quetta etc. They include Law Students Alliance (ULC), Young Peace and Development Corps (YPDC) Uthal, and the same group at Turbat University, Students Affairs at BUITEMS, the Blood Heroes of BMC and many others which are merely for and by the administrations to simply counter the student politics as it ought to be. These groups are being vested administrative powers to impress the students to rely on them as actual.

It is to say that when there is no student politics, then there’s no political ground: when there’s no political ground, how can student unions be revived? Meanwhile, the students are being victims of enforced disappearances with a high ratio marking an alarming situation of humanity, which Sartre terms “A Subhuman Condition”.

Wherefore, the students are not safe, how can a political ground and culture be set? If a political ground is not set by hook or by crook, there’s impossibility to revive student politics.

To be short to say, the revival of student union is bound to the revival of student politics which can be done by a political ground and political culture, and the ground is dependent on the students. If they exist, this will eventually lead to the revival of student politics and student unions in Balochistan’s perspective.

Conclusion:

In concluding, I put my words, in following ways:

1. There’s is no political ground and political culture, which must be revived.

2. To ensure the existence of student itself to participate in student politics in order to sustain the political ground.

3. Vanish out of the affidavit form and review the act to ensure on and off campus student politics to maintain the political culture.

4. To put an end to the administrative groups, which are operating on behalf of students, as they are to fulfil the needs of institutional administrations.

5. To continue the discussion of revival of student politics by reviving the political ground and to ensure the existence of students to participate in the politics.

The all aforementioned points will eventually lead to the revival of student politics and then to the revival of student union. Without considering the facts commencing discussion on revival of student union, particularly in Balochistan, it seems impossible-cum-difficult to revive suchlike.