NEW DELHI, Feb 15: The campus is quiet on the election front. With the exception of a few committed students, nobody is particularly interested in what the politicians are up to.There are no heated debates on issues that matter, there is no discussion on Sonia Gandhi's campaigning and Vajpayee's chances of becoming prime minister. More importantly, the enthusiastic campaigning by student organisations is missing.
This used to be the time when students were out on the streets, screaming themselves hoarse trying to garner support for the party they supported. Now they are busy doing other things. Academic routine suddenly seems to have become a priority for student leaders, who otherwise saw elections as an opportunity to get close to the people who matter.
``Everything has been slow this time. It is not just about students, the entire campaigning has been lukewarm thanks to the Election Commission directives. The banners, the loudspeakers and of course the students are all missing,'' says a DelhiUniversity Students' Union member.
Even on the politically-hot Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus, things are dead cold. ``We have been very wrapped up in our own problems. In any case, the student leaders are not what they used to be and no initiative has been taken so far. Only those who are really into politics talk about it,'' says a Ph.D. student.
The only indication that a section of students is still interested in the elections was the panel discussion on `Criminalisation of Politics' held at the School of Social Sciences in JNU. This is part of the felicitation function for the signature campaign of Common Cause organised by the students.
H D Shourie, defence analyst K Subramanium, professor V P Dutt and journalist Madhu Kishwar thrashed out the basic problems and the probable solutions. Through the entire discussion, students counter questioned and checked the viability of each suggestion. Even after the panelists had left, the issue continued to be debated.
But this was an aberration.Otherwise, the most frequently discussed topic on the campus has become the coming examinations. Notes are being exchanged and tutorials submitted, while the elections just get a passing mention.
A number of students are not even sure whether they can vote or not. Overheard in JNU: ``I was told I cannot vote,'' says a student. ``Who told you that? Of course you can, aren't you registered in the university,'' he is told. ``You don't know what you are talking about. You need a voter's identity card,'' adds another.
Earlier, being actively involved in student politics was a sure way of making it to the big league. While the basic rule is still applicable, the involvement has reduced to a certain extent.
The exception here is the National Student's Union of India (NSUI). Not only were they the first to come up with a detailed plan on how they would go about campaigning, but they are actually out on the streets. They have taken out processions in various constituencies and done their bit.
Similarly, theAkhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is also doing its share of election work.
However, this leaves the student community cold as they are just not impressed with the whole set-up. The level of interest in politics is apparent from the questions college students came up with during a show on MTV. A Rock The Vote session with Rajesh Pilot had him answering questions like ``what would you do if your fly was open'' and ``what is your most embarrassing moment''!
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
