The politicized student bodies, which also serve as training grounds for aspiring politicians, have often got carried away by political ambitions rather than focusing on education and benefits for students. The result of which is that students themselves feel disconnected and unwilling to be a part of their own representative bodies.
The Week talks to some women leaders in Nepal about their opinions on the roles of students’ unions, their agendas, and how they can bridge the widening gap between the students and students’ organizations. Here are some briefs on their political backgrounds and excerpts from interviews.
MANUSI YAMI BHATTARAI
General Secretary, Free Students’ Union (FSU) at TU
I grew up in a political family witnessing the People’s Movement at its peak. So I was politically conscious since childhood. But my decision to be politically active came only with college politics when I was in India, and I’m continuing it at TU.
Major agendas of the group
Though we’re aligned with our fraternal political parties, we no longer just want to be a tool for them to add to their numerical strength.
Education has to be made a fundamental right in Nepal – that’s the first agenda, and then, we can move on to different policies. We demand free and equal educational opportunities for all because right now there are two social classes: One with money to spend in private institutions, and the other who depend on government institutions that lack quality. Concerned stakeholders are more interested in privatization and benefiting from education being commercial.
We’re not saying that private institutions be closed but at least stall their numeric growth and focus more on the improvement of government educational institutions.
Another focus is on the restructuring of syllabus and preparation of one that suits the country rather than copy paste it from elsewhere. There should also be more vocational-oriented courses because the current education is not producing the different manpower the country needs.
We’re also promoting the idea that people should be able to get at least basic education in their own mother tongue with their choice.
On the gap between students’ unions and students, and the unions’ strategies to bridge that gap
I think publishing regular bulletins is an effective way to bridge the communication gap. At TU, we’ve also short-listed those professors paid by the government but who’re taking classes in private colleges rather than contributing their time to ensure fair educational practice in the university.
Building trust starts with small things. Like when organizing a tournament, it must be ensured that there is a proper implementation of rules and prize distribution helps a lot in building accountability.
Students’ unions also have to focus on academic programs and come up with ideas on how to connect the syllabus with the ongoing scenario of the nation. That way, students will be able to gain more and feel the significance of a student group.
We’re also strongly rooting for a calendar with all the events and academic routine, dates and information mapped out. In recent years, student union activities, such as frequent protests, have created obstacles to follow the academic calendar. But all the unions have to cooperate. We’re willing to do it; we’re even demanding that a calendar be followed for smooth operations.
Challenges you face as a woman student leader
Being a woman makes a difference in our society. As an individual, it depends on your confidence; but your leadership depends on the organization and comrades. However, it’s a challenge to work when you’re numerically marginalized.
NABINA LAMA
Vice President, All-Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU)
I was politically conscious since my schooldays in Kavre. I also worked in the district committee of ANNFSU in Kavre but I became active in student politics after I joined Baneshwor Campus for my higher studies and now I’m continuing it at Padma Kanya Campus.
Major agendas of the group
We haven’t decided on specific work plans due to the internal conflict within the union. However, the basic agenda is to primarily focus on the educational sector.
There’s been too much privatization and the state hasn’t invested enough in public education which is actually widening the class difference. So it’s also our agenda to pressurize the government as it lacks seriousness in this regard.
On the gap between students’ unions and students, and the unions’ strategies to bridge that gap
The ANNFSU is an umbrella organization and we practice the federal system, keeping the five universities as the basis. So it’s our responsibility to reach out to the students of all these universities and make them politically conscious. At the same time, students also need to realize that the unions don’t hamper studies but are there to advocate for quality education and also for better infrastructures.
We also plan to have debate programs that can raise questions and have the authorities concerned in the hot seat to clarify the educational investment policy. For quality, there has to be transparency in the educational investment sector. Concerned stakeholders, such as the officials from the universities and the education ministry, should speak up about the codes and educational systems.
Challenges you face as a woman student leader
Though there’s the 33% seat policy for women, there really aren’t many women in student unions and even fewer at the decision-making level. The society will try to take away your freedom just because you’re a woman, but you can’t wait for things to change and opportunities to be handed to you. If you want to be a leader, you can’t remain mum but raise your voice against inequality.
PRATIMA GAUTAM
General Secretary, Nepal Students’ Union (NSU)
I was born and raised in Kathmandu. Though my parents were politically conscious, I wasn’t inspired by anyone in particular to join politics. The 1990 movement had a special impact on me. However, I got involved in political field only after my entrance to Padma Kanya Campus.
Major agendas of the group
Our first agenda focuses on a direct election system and preserving individual rights and freedom.
There still hasn’t been any proper assessment of the daily operations of government educational institutions and university – from the syllabus to exam routines. The university is still evading such assessments. TU has more than 800 private colleges under its affiliation. Whereas private-sector institutions are booming, the government educational institutions are degrading, and the state has to turn its attention here. So we have to build pressure on the state to take notice of the situation and act on it.
On the gap between students’ unions and students, and the unions’ strategies to bridge that gap
One should get over the mindset that student unions involve only in street protests. A lot of other works for educational and infrastructural improvement has been carried out.
Previously, many students were focused on the political movements and protests, but if student leaders really start to focus on developmental aspects and finding solutions to the current problems faced by the students, more students will actually be willing to accept such leadership.
Challenges you face as a woman student leader
It actually depends on how you take it. There’ll be obstacles but you need to have the confidence to face problems. If you’re talking about what the society thinks of women who’re most of the times busy outside the house, that’ll still take a long time to change.
But you can’t let it stop you. There are fewer women at decision-making level and that’s a great challenge sometimes. But as an individual, it completely depends on your own self.
RAM KUMARI JHAKRI
Immediate Ex-President ANNFSU and first ever women president of a student union in Nepal
I was involved in politics since seventh grade in my hometown Gulmi but my active political career started when I joined Padma Kanya (PK). I came to Kathmandu to study nursing but the political environment in the campus interested me more.
The image of student unions and the negative connotations
The past was a tumultuous time and students were an influential force in many movements. I’ll admit that my generation of student youth leaders were proactive in destructive protests and that was our expertise. But that was also the need of the time.
However, there’s no more need for such massive protests. Things have to take a different turn, and students need to realize that politics isn’t about pelting stones but about ideology.
The focus at present should be on the use of ideologies and available resources for constructive developments.
On the gap between students’ unions and students, and the unions’ strategies to bridge that gap
Consider that Harvard University that has produced so many US presidents and you’ll see that student politics isn’t a waste of time or something that hampers your studies.
The gap between the political students’ unions and students is because many of them don’t make an effort to understand politics. Those who only look at it from the surface should try to understand the philosophy and ideologies rather than commenting adversely.
After that, they can support any of these ideologies if they want. For that, politics has to be taken as a philosophical stream so we can build up political think tanks.
If you talk about the missing connection between unions and private school students, I’d say it’s probably because a leader hasn’t yet been born or come out of the private sector.
There’s no one to voice their opinions; so probably they can’t relate to the current student youth leaders.
Before 1990 and the open market economy, there were very few boarding schools. But since then, education has also been privatized and public colleges lost their charms.
Now, while privileged students can choose private schools, many in the public schools still have to fight for quality education, and this is where politics starts. Even though we’re the elected student leaders, our leadership is limited within a certain group of students.
Challenges you face as a woman student leader
According to my experience, if you have the determination to move on, there’s no difference. Previously, our laws itself were discriminatory against women as they were based on Manusmriti which placed women as a commodity. So if you analyze the situation now, things have changed dramatically. And if you’re confident, you can go all the way in politics no matter what gender you are.
Related story
Chaos, united
-1200x560-1779450784.webp)