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- Aarti Jerath Column | India Student Protests & Youth Movement History
8 hours ago
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Aarti Jerath Political Commentator
The government is facing a big challenge in the form of student movements. The youth demonstrations have spread not only in Delhi but in cities across the country. If we look into the past, student movements often prove to be alarm bells. The movement started in 1973 by the students of Morbi College, Gujarat, against the increase in mess fees, soon turned into a nationwide mass movement. It snatched away the chair of two Chief Ministers, paved the way for the declaration of Emergency and ultimately brought about such an upheaval in the politics of the Center that Indira Gandhi had to face defeat in 1977.
Of course, no two moments in history are ever the same and it is too early to predict where the current protests will go. But it is certain that the government will have to seriously consider the possibility that if the anger of the youth visible on the streets today is not addressed with prompt and effective corrective steps, what could be the consequences.
Let’s go back to December 1973. Following the violent protest by students at Morbi College, 40 students were suspended and the college had to be closed indefinitely. Within a few days, protests also started in the Engineering College of Ahmedabad and by January 1974, students of Gujarat University also came out on the movement.
Student organizations across the state called for a three-day strike. Gradually, the middle class also joined the movement, which was already troubled by inflation and corruption in the Congress government led by Chimanbhai Patel. Soon various local movements came together under the banner of Navnirman Samiti. The committee expanded the scope of the movement and raised the demand for comprehensive changes in the system. Ultimately Chief Minister Chimanbhai Patel was forced to resign. The Gujarat Assembly was dissolved and new elections were held.
Opposition leaders like senior Congress (O) leader Morarji Desai also supported the movement. RSS’s student wing ABVP also had participation in it. In fact, this movement paved the way for the rise of the Jana Sangh (the predecessor of the BJP) in the state. First it became a part of non-Congress alliances and finally in 1995, BJP formed the government there on its own, after which it has not been out of power till date.
JP came to Gujarat only in 1974. Inspired by the movement there, he returned to Bihar and started a similar movement against the Congress government. It also included young student leaders like Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar, who later dominated the politics of the state for several decades. Ultimately the government of Chief Minister Abdul Ghafoor was also out of power. But what was even more important was that this movement spread beyond the borders of Bihar and Gujarat and took the form of widespread protest against the government. JP called for total revolution.
When the Cockroach Janata Party started its protest at Jantar Mantar and was later joined by Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk, it seemed that the movement would gradually fizzle out without much impact. Very few people had anticipated that such a large number of people would take to the streets of Delhi in the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march organized on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament. But since then, not only students but people from many other sections have also joined these protests.
Among them are parents who are worried about the future of their children; There are school students who are worried about their dreams of higher education; There are senior citizens who want to encourage the youth; Auto-rickshaw drivers, unemployed youth and many people of different age groups and social strata are also involved.
These protests are still in their initial stages. These are yet to take the form of a clear and organized movement. This movement has not even got its ‘JP’ yet. This situation gives the government an opportunity to control these protests before history repeats itself. If any lesson can be learned from the past, it is that it is not politically prudent to ignore the anger of the people who took to the streets.
JP came to Gujarat in 1974. Inspired by the Navnirman movement there, he returned to Bihar and started a similar movement against the Congress government. Student leaders like Lalu-Nitish also participated in it, who later dominated the politics of the state. (These are the author’s own views)
