MARGAO
As the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP) ruckus at St Xavier’s College, Mapusa triggered a debate about whether student activism of yesteryears is back after a hiatus or was the incident simply a protest motivated by an agenda, former Saxtti-based student leaders have been candid in conceding that they haven’t come across any student movement worth its name in the State in recent years, unlike the 70s and 80s when students were a force to reckon with both inside and outside the campus.
Some of the former student leaders felt that barring the ABVP affiliated to the ruling BJP and the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress, Goa has hardly seen any student activity, leave alone a movement, either espousing the cause of the student community or taking up the socio-politico issues plaguing the State.
Adv Cleofato: Young Gen career conscious
Former Progress Students Union (PSU) leader & political commentator Adv Cleofato Coutinho was forthright in saying that the younger generation has become career conscious in the age of materialism, and is hardly associated with socio-politico movements. Recalling the student movements in the 70s and 80s, when the community was involved in movements, both affecting the students and the society at large, Coutinho said: “We haven’t seen any such involvement and participation of the student community in recent years. There has been no dearth of public issues affecting Goa, but the mass participation of the students in the movement has been missing.”
He added: “During our student days, we had to fight the college managements as well as the governments of the day. For, neither the college managements nor the governments in power had ever backed the students”.
Commenting on the St Xavier’s College episode, Adv Coutinho said the issue needs to be looked in the right perspective. "If the elections were conducted and the results not declared, then the question would arise whether there was an attempt to scuttle the democratic process. Secondly, it’s an open secret that the ABVP is the student wing of the ruling BJP. That the group will get government backing is a foregone conclusion. What, however, came as surprise was the absence of progressive forces to checkmate the reactionary forces,” he added.
Vijai: St Xavier’s ruckus a stir with an agenda
Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai was forthright in saying that the ruckus that took place at St Xavier’s College is not student activism, but a protest with an agenda. "There seemed an agenda behind the protest at St Xavier’s college. This is a disturbing trend taking place in a minority educational institution. It is evident that the government has backed ABVP to the hilt in creating the ruckus in the college,” he said.
Sardesai lamented that students, more so the members of the student wing of political parties, somehow did not take on the ABVP head-on. “We discussed the St Xavier's College ruckus created by ABVP at the Goa Forward Executive Committee meeting during the weekend. Everyone felt the ruckus was created with an agenda,” he added.
Mohandas: Not seen movement since 80s
Another former PSU stalwart, Mohandas Lolienkar said he has not come across any student movement in Goa since the late 80s. “One may say today’s youth and students are career conscious, but students associated with the movements of yesteryears also became successful people in their respective fields. We used to take up socio-political issues during those days and never restricted our movement to student issues. This is sadly missing today,” he said.
He added: “I do not want to go into the reasons behind the ABVP ruckus at St Xavier’s College. But, it is evident the protest was staged with an agenda, knowing fully well they would get the government's backing. Progressive forces should have given a befitting reply to the reactionary forces.”
