Freedom of Speech & Press

The Restoration of student union is inevitable

Usman Khan Afridi

A students Union is a body or association of students of any educational institution by whatever name called for promoting the general interests of its members as students for academic, disciplinary, extra-curricular, or other matters related to the affairs of the students in the educational institutions.
In the UK 600 student unions are affiliated accounting for more than 95% of all higher and further education unions.
The strong voice of “Students Union” was first suppressed by the late dictator Zia-ul-Haq back in 1984, but since then, no one has any reasonable reason or argument based on which they can say that the abolition of the students’ union is necessary, and if someone talks about its abolition based on political interference, bullying, personal interest, violence, and indifference, then it is baseless because it is not a difficult task to control and overcome these flaws with democratic principles and style.
Article 17 of the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees its citizens the right to form associations or unions subject to “reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan, public order or morality”. Therefore, for a restriction on the right to be constitutional, it must meet the following three requirements: firstly, it must be reasonable; secondly, it must be imposed by law; and thirdly, it must be in the interest of either the sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan, or public order, or morality.
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, while addressing the young students during the Pakistan Movement, said,” Dear Youth! Establish your organization. Create a one-dimensional and complete unity, and make yourselves trained and strong soldiers. Create a sense of collective spirit and comradeship within you and for the cause of the country and the nation. Act faithfully, I am not young as you people but your enthusiasm in this movement made me young too. ” If Quaid’s this saying is considered and If this group of young generation consists of students, it will not be difficult for them to create any revolution on any platform.
If history is considered it is clear that the student union has done exemplary work in national construction and development. In the past, the student union was not formed based on any force but the democratic way was chosen for its structure and through regular elections, the president, general secretary, joint secretary, and girls joint secretary were elected from each department. This representation was based on the number of affiliates. A council was formed at the level of the departments in which the councilors were elected, the bigger the department, the more councilors. The union used to present its problems in the council an then it’s solution would be considered by the counsil members. , their activities were conducted through regular annual elections in universities and colleges.
students that participated in these elections played an important role in looking after vital academic, cultural and political interests of students.
When the classes and sectors of these countries are abused, they have their own union to raise their voice and take them to the authorities.
“Parent’s association, Teacher’s unions, Journalist’s union, Women’s organizations, hence there are unions of people from all walks of life who are fighting against their exploitation, but only the ‘students union’ is not revived.
Students today are suffering from a lot of problems, all these facts and figures show that due to the increased rate in population and education its cry of the day to restore the student’s union which is the only mouthpiece of the young in this era

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