Photo: Himalayan Times

Union, certainly it does not need any hard and fast definitions and more so when it comes to the word ‘ Students' Union ’; even illiterate people understand the meaning of the word. There are a number of things that revolve around the word ‘Students' Union’. It acts as the fuel for students as well as campuses to fight against the prejudice, biases, and other anomalies that create hindrance in the study of the students. Everyone knows that Students' Unions are associated with the major political parties of our country. In other words, it can even be termed as the backbone of the political parties; creating continuous leadership. Their principle relies on the democratic propaganda, once preached by the great U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln, but now, slightly modified by the fools for the student quota as “Democratic Students' Union, is the union of the students, for the students, by the students.” If we look at the present scenario of the Students' Union of our country then, every student by their heart would admit that they have certain disappointments towards their leaders. The free Students’ Union election, as defined in a democratic way, is solely responsible for creating student leaders who along the sands of time will be the leaders of the nation. Thus, a country’s progress and administration indirectly rely on these elections. But what next? Students ring the bell of temples and break coconuts along with the incense sticks and prayers, begging the gods to pave the way for all the promises made by the elected candidates before the election. Let us have a glimpse at the time before the election. Every campus, thus, every Students' union present within the campuses get busy asking for votes sowing promises and hopes among the students. Tea and Breakfast campaigns, calling on fake voters are some of the popular techniques to rack up the votes. The literate and conscious students who are regarded as the pillars of the nations are easily lured and brainwashed by their leaders for a cheap price of a cup of tea. The old professors also sympathize in the hope that students might learn something, although not immediately but someday in the future; the scattered pages of the past might enlighten them. In the aftermath of the election hardly any changes can be seen. The water taps still do not provide regular water supply. Yes! Regular supply of purified water is also used as a propaganda in the elections. The toilets are still the same - old, dirty, and unhygienic. The library contains the same old books; some books are at from the time of establishment of the college. The leaders are seen in the campuses once in a blue moon. Thus, the students get back to their daily study routine with the same old problems and same old intangible disappointments. The campus administration, the students, and the Students' Union, all three subjects are responsible and liable for the advancement of the campus. The quality of education should depend on who the students elect as their leaders and the elected leaders must put forward the problems of the students to the campus administration to solve the infections prevailing on the education system. Students must check the visions of the candidates appearing in the election, not by their surreal proclamations, but, by their honesty and loyalty towards the students as well as the education system. Moreover, Students' Union and campus administration should be less involved in the political games and should give high priority to bring change in the education and the education system, hence competing in the global market. Students' Union must raise the hidden and underrated voices of the individual students, discuss on them and head towards a definite conclusion. Someone has rightly said, “Behind every successful revolution, there is the hand of students.” Our country, at present, needs a mental revolution. Only then revolution at other sectors and infrastructures can be dreamed. Until and unless students are provided a concrete platform to place their hopes and ideas, brain drain is inevitable and it is the duty of the students union to seek and solve discrepancies that arise among the students during their phase of learning. They must be able to guide them towards their colorful future by maintaining pressure to the campus administration for their worthy needs. Then only the next generation of students can have complete faith in the union and their leaders. This determines the efficiency and honesty of the Students' Union. If Students' Union of the campus are more likely to be involved in politics, then it is sure to be “Achilles Heel” in the education system and we shall not be far from the day, that arrives, as once the great German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Politics may one day be found to be so vulgar as to be described, along with all the party and daily journalism, under the heading, PROSTITUTION OF THE INTELLECT.”

The article is co-authored by Nikita Parajuli and Arjun Dahal, both undergraduate students of Physics at Tri-Chandra Campus.