Students march for restoration of unions

Ag agenciesISLAMABAD: Thousands of Pakistani students marched in demonstrations spanning the country on Friday demanding the right to once again form student unions, which was taken away in 1984 by military dictator Zia ul-Haq. The march in dozens of cities, backed by parents of students and civil society activists, received messages of support from several political leaders.Students who want admission in Pakistani colleges and universities have to sign an affidavit, along with their parents that says the student cannot participate in any mobilization or political activity on campus. While unions are banned in Pakistan, student wings of political parties are still allowed. Friday’s march was organized by the Student Action Committee, a newfound umbrella group of left wing, progressive student groups. Students belonging to a right wing student group seemed to stay away in some cities, like the capital, Islamabad, but showed up in others, like Lahore. A senior leader of Islami Jamiat e-Talaba, the student wing of Jamaat e-Islami, said his organization was never invited. However, he expressed the hope that in the future the groups could work together. “We have ideological differences, but we can stand together for common student issues, like restoration of student unions, reduction in fees, and correcting mismanagement of universities,” Muhammad Aamir said.LAHORE: The much-publicised Students Solidarity March attracting hundreds of students and people from different walks of life was held here on Friday to press the government for the restoration of student unions in educational institutions across the country.The march started from the Istanbul Chowk near Town Hall and culminated at the Faisal Chowk where the participants observed a sit-in, which continued for a quite good time. The marchers carrying banners and placards chanted slogans demanding freedom for student politics on campuses.Among others, some of the major demands of the marchers included restoration of student unions, budget for higher education, end to privatisation of educational institutions, provision of quality education, end to profiling of students on basis of race, gender or religion, withdrawal of recent increase in fee in universities across the country besides constitution of legal committees for sexual harassment cases with students’ representation.Speaking on the occasion, student leaders came hard on the government for ignoring students’ plight, especially those coming from humble backgrounds. They said the students wanted true independence to do student politics on the campuses. They criticised the government for slashing the Higher Education Commission (HEC) budget. In the provincial metropolis, the students were joined by rights activists, teachers, labourers, farmers and leaders of different workers’ unions.The march caused a traffic mess on The Mall and many adjacent roads for quite some time while a police contingent was also deployed to avoid any untoward incident.The students also demanded the same timings and rules in hostels for male and female students, an end to surveillance and monitoring of students in educational institutions and racial and other forms of profiling of students in universities and colleges.A marcher alleged some educational institutions were barring students to join the march and threatening disciplinary action against them. The marchers dispersed peacefully later in the night.ISLAMABAD: A senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, also tweeted in favor of the march. “I fully support Restoration of students unions, ban on students unions is anti democratic,” he said.Students in Islamabad said they welcomed his tweet but wished his government would follow it up with legislation to help them.PESHAWAR: KP Information Minister, Shoukat Yousafzai on Friday said that no proposal was under consideration to lift the ban on student unions in educational institutions.In a video message on social media, the minister said that personally he was in favour of the restoration of student unions. “I have been a student leader myself. Student unions produced great educated politicians in the past,” he said. He, however, said that no decision was yet taken to restore student unions. Shoukat said that in the past student unions made mistakes that could be corrected. He said that student unions could play an important role in solving problems of students.Zubair Ashraf adds from Karachi: Beating drums and singing poetry, chanting slogans and raising fists, hundreds of students marched on the streets of Karachi in protest on Friday demanding abolishment of the class-based educational system, restoration of the student unions and decrease in fees. In the words of a participant, Muzammil Shaikh, a student of the Insitute of the Business Administration, “It is amazing. After 35 years, finally all the students are gathering, coming back for their rights, which should have had been before but never mind.”Talking of the country-wide hype that the hashtag #StudentsSolidarityMarch created on the social media, he added, “Generally speaking: As a whole big picture: For the last many years, we have been fed a narrative that kids are apolitical but kids are not,” and put up a wide smile.The march attracted students, political, social, environmental and human rights activists, journalists, lawyers, laborers, trade unionists, from many backgrounds, and they took out a rally from the Regal Chowk till the Karachi Press Club.Khurram Ali, who is the general secretary of the Awami Workers Party in Karachi and an organizer of the march, explained that “Last year, the Progressive Students Federation (PrSF) and the Progressive Students Collective (PSC) set up this event, then very few student organizations attended it, but we resolved to hold it bigger the next year.”This year, the Students Solidarity March was held in around 53 big and small districts across the country, according to the tweets by the PSC (@PSCollective_). “The students’ bodies made alliances at all levels and this is how they were able to come out in such big numbers,” Ali said, adding “The situation of fees, especially in private sector, is so bad that a common student has started realizing that they have been exploited. Meanwhile, it is worst in the public sector, first they (the state) cut the sports and recreational funds and now the students don’t even have transport, water and similar necessities.”He opined that these state of affairs were pulling the crowds of students on the streets themselves and in such a time when the call for the march was made, then videos of students raising slogans, like of Punjab University student Arooj Auragzeb, went viral and created a furore.“Also, people, especially youth, understood that the Imran Khan’s government will bring a change. But now after him, they have realized that they have come out themselves for the solution of their problems, because until there’s democracy at the grass-root level, the democracy cannot benefit a common person.”Zahabia Khozema, the organizer of the PrSF in Karachi, commented that students face many problems at their campuses and the solution to this is their political organization so they can gather and collectively raise their issues with the administration and the state.“Through this rally, we demand lifting of the ban on the student unions and revoking of the recent hike in fees and no increase in them for the next five years at least. [In the recent budget] The government has cut education by 40pc and imposed more taxes which led to the increase in fees.”Speaking about the lack of sexual harassment policies at the campuses, Khozema said that the institutes need to make them because of their absence the perpetrators get away easily. She added that the curriculum also needed to be changed and free of the hate speech and extremist narratives.She also emphasized on gender inclusion in all spheres of life. “No movement can become strong, effective and successful until the women are not involved in it. Female students need to come out and join such movements if they want to see a better tomorrow.”Nasir Mansoor, a trade unionist who became part of the march expressing solidarity with the cause, said that all mainstream political parties have their student wings which they use as their fuel. “But when they have to give students their due rights, these political parties deny them. They talk about democracy but don’t let the nurseries of democracy nurture.”Asim Yasin adds: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday said his party always supported the student unions. “The restoration of student unions by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto was purposely undone to depoliticize society. Today’s students are marching in the student solidarity march for the restoration of unions implementation of right to education,” he posted a tweet on his twitter account showing the solidarity with the student march.Through his tweet, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto stated that end to privatization of public universities, implementation of sexual harassment legislation, right to student housing and demilitarization of campuses. “The spirit of activism and yearning for peaceful democratic process from a new generation of students is truly inspiring,” he stated.

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