Food for thought

The passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the Lok Sabha has ignited massive protests across Assam, and there will be more trouble once the bill is taken up in Rajya Sabha during the budget session. Youths in large numbers have been caught up in the agitation, spearheaded by AASU and KMSS along with over a hundred organizations. It is feared that the Central government’s push to grant citizenship to ‘persecuted religious minorities’ fleeing neighboring countries will impose an intolerable burden of several lakh Hindu Bangladeshi refugees on Assam; the result will be more claimants to the meager resources that this State can barely muster, apart from the distinct possibility that such a large group will dominate the State’s politics in the years to come. These are legitimate anxieties that need to be addressed by the government and other stakeholders, but the young should not bear the brunt. Some leaders have been calling upon the student community to register strong protest, including boycott of classes. Students of several varsities and colleges have responded, announcing they will stay off classes indefinitely. Since this is happening in the winter break and Magh Bihu holidays, the damage to their studies so far may yet be mitigated. But if the disruption continues in the coming days, students will pay a heavy price. The semester system puts round-the-year pressure on students. If momentum is lost at the beginning of the semester, it will be very difficult to regain it by the end; teachers will be scrambling to finish the syllabus and students struggling to do well in the exams. As it is, the general elections in April-May will likely impact the academic calendar in the first half of this year. Some college students will also be taking another shot at pre-engineering, pre-medical and other entrance tests. Rather than boycott classes at such critical juncture, students should not allow any let up in their studies and preparation. They can participate in social media campaigns to warn political parties of their opinions and clout as new voters; there are forums within academic institutions where students can study and discuss vital social issues to develop strategic thinking. Such groundwork will stand them in good stead once they are in positions to make a difference. Boycotting classes will be opportunity lost, irreversibly and tragically. It is unpalatable but true that the six-year Assam Agitation in the Eighties and nightmare of secret killings in the Nineties claimed thousands of young lives and played havoc with the careers of countless students. Assam has more than its share of socio-economic-political problems compared to many other States, but paying the price in terms of lost young generations again and again is a suicidal way to go about it.