Campus Politics: A shaded history of Karachi University’s political scenario

Flag bearing gates, tree lined entrance, chalked walls, daunting structure, raucous canteen, and playful attitudes-this is the grandiose of the campus milieu we all usually get to observe. Campus fundamentally considered as a platform to nurture and enhance one’s inherent skills and reach one’s goal in the spirit of youth.

Campus politics has diverse and mixed shades of history. Many of the veteran politicians of this country are graduates of Karachi University and started their struggle from here. Namely Altaf Hussain, Hasil Bizinjo, Syed Faisal Raza Abidi, Syed Hyder Abbas Rizvi, Faisal Sabzwari and others.

“Student politics considered to be a platform for the young to nurture their leadership skills and come forward to take the reign of politics in their hands”, Amir Khan“I started it when I was in my 20’s, got my inspiration from Altaf hussain who raise voice against the quota system in Pakistan”.

History of Student politics in Pakistan is as long as its existence; the very first student organization was Muslim Students Federation, which was created in United India. Then in 1948 existence of Islami Jamiat Talaba and Democratic students federation added a new chapter in students’ politics. Then many new student organizations based on different ideologies, religious belief, doctrine came into existence.

Hasan Nisar, a veteran journalist was of the opinion,” Before student unions were banned, student politics had a history of tumultuous but rich democratic traditions, student activities were conducted with full spirit, students had say in the administration. But Zia has demolished the finishing school for the future politicians and now I don’t foresee such potential in the youth then it was”.

Though it is an interesting and multifaceted journey to get but its roads are shaded with the blood too. In 80’s during the Zia regime, student organizations were turned out in militant groups and rivals pointed their guns barrels against each other. Campuses have witnessed bloody wars and many have lost their lives in aligning with the doctrine one follow.

 The very first clash in student politics history is ascertained but the series of clashes is reported to have been in 1980’s. When students got armed with the automatic machine guns and the lust for the blood made the hounds active.

“It was unable for us to take classes because rivalry was at its peak and nearly everyday we heard gunshots” said by a female student who was doing her B-Pharmacy form university of Karachi in 1987.

Karachi University like its host city has always been a melting pot for the students form all over the country. Its grounds have seen the splendid expression of various sociopolitical schools of thoughts. The gradual desensitization of students after the military take over of 1979 as well as the violent military crackdown on the APMSO-PSF conflict in 1993 that was followed by the indefinite deployment of rangers on campus.

Today there are many student organization based on different political and religious school of thoughts operating in Karachi University. All Pakistan mutahida students organization (APMSO) student faction and mother organization of MQM, the very old Isalmi Jamiat Talba (IJT) student faction the Jamat e Islami, peoples student federation (PSF) PPP’s student wing, Imamia Students Organization (ISO) a Shia Muslims students’ group, Mustafvi Students Federation (MSF) student organization led by Tahir ul Qadri,chief of minhaj ul quran, Insaf Students Fedreation (ISF) imran khan’s student wing, Balawaristan National Students Organization (BNSO) a separatist student faction, Northern Areas Students Allaince(NASA) ethnic organization, Baloch Students Federation (BSF) separatist students wing, Jiye Sindh Students Federation (JSSF) separatist wing, Punjabi Students Association (PSA) ethnic student body, and some others banned organizations students faction like Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan (SMP) and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), arch rivals of each other.

Today there is no student union or a single platform for the students to raise their voice. Each organization want its say in the administrative and educational matters and get the reign which ultimately leads to a conflict ‘whom to be listened’?

A senior teacher of University told on the condition of anonymity, “activists of different student groups mostly don’t attend classes and even don’t perform to pass the exam, but they compel us to pass them. If no then they threat to bear the consequences, and many of our colleagues had been subjected to torture due to the same reason”.

But the office bearers of the students organizations in university denied their involvement and throw filth on their rivals.

The fear of student groups’ activists who consider themselves the only Salvation Army has hastened the students’ minds and led them to conduct their co-curricular and recreational activities outside the premises of campus. Such incidents are reported frequently when students are beaten and subjected to torture only because they don’t listen to or go against the directions of them.

A flashback it’s Nov 5^th 2003. The first graduating batch of the newly formed Visual Arts department of the Karachi University is holding its grand exhibition of the students’ final thesis in the STC hall. The exhibition is in process when all hell breaks lose.  A group of a religious based student organization gathered outside to protest against the exhibition, which they termed to be out of university’s code and religious ethics. They fall into heated arguments with the administrative staff and students. Suddenly around two dozens activists stormed into the hall, mashing the items on display. Terrifying young men and women in their wake, many of them crying as they their year’s worth work shattered into pieces. No action was taken against those miscreants.

One student whose presentation was destroyed recalls bitterly,” I was beaten to bone, threatened and harassed, and saw the fruit of my labor get smashed into pieces in front of my eyes.”

Students politics is not all bad it men who do it negatively or positively. Student’s politics/ youth power has been a powerful engine for a movement to get started and achieve its goal. In the creation of Pakistan they were students who were working along the lines of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Student politics in Karachi University has not only wrongdoings but also providing a healthy culture of competition to be promoted. Student organizations exhibit their strength by gathering mass students in their programs.

In Karachi university its fun when such events are held. The biggest event in history of university and now being called as the biggest tape ball cricket tournament in south-Asia i.e. Paigham e Aman cricket tournament held every year by APMSO. Around 300 teams participate in this mega event and thousands of students’ witness the thunder of players.

Second mega event for the university is book fair, which is held every year by Islami Jamiat Talaba where many book publishers and houses set up their stall and sell books at subsidized rates. Student organizations don’t let go every single opportunity to mark their triumph in creating space for the students to get refreshed and updated. They hold seminars and different workshops.

“We like student politics and want to shoe our part here but when we see clashes between different student groups we are afraid of it”, said by a student of international relations at Karachi University.

All the parent political and religious organizations should abide their student faction to strictly follow the rules and regulations set up by university administration and create and healthy, competitive and democratic environment so that the revival of student politics could be done with it full spirit and strictly take action against their fellow if found in any wrongdoing. The sprit of youth at its peak demand the revolution in every sphere but this should be kept in minds “charity begins at home”.