Bhagat Singh’s vision vs today’s student politics

Higher education institutions have often been the breeding grounds for both legendary and ignoble uprisings worldwide. The current ideological battles in universities such as JNU, DU, Rajasthan University, Central University of Haryana, Hyderabad Central University and Panjab University raise concerns for all stakeholders concerned. Instances of violence, assaults and protest movements — though motivated by various factors — prompt critical questions about the role of politics in these institutions.

Do we need 'politics' in our educational environments? Do these institutions enjoy the necessary independence and reflect the democratic ideals our nation upholds? While student politics is not inherently problematic, the politicisation of student unions in India has led to numerous unintended consequences.

In addition to these issues, higher education in India is plagued by problems reflective of the broader political landscape. Frequent clashes between student unions, class boycotts, strikes, electoral manipulation, display of muscle power, academic interruptions and violence have become commonplace.

Critics of institutional politicisation provide numerous examples of entire academic sessions being wasted due to such happenings. They decry political violence infiltrating what they refer to as the 'temples' of modern India.

How would Bhagat Singh respond to these developments? Bhagat Singh continues to shape the discourse and activism surrounding student politics across various ideological lines, including those of Gandhi, Ambedkar and Hedgewar. He believed that "education should create a better, more equal, more democratic and socialist society."

Ideology often comes with the baggage of indoctrination, and educational institutions often succumb to this allure under the guise of fostering academic orientations. An 18-year-old, fresh from the 'safe' and nurturing confines of a school, is particularly vulnerable to being shaped as a lifelong supporter or sympathiser of a particular ideology. For this 'prospective' voter, ideologies compete for attention.

Bhagat Singh urged students to “study so that you are able to meet arguments of your opponents. Equip your ideology with supporting arguments. If you oppose a prevailing belief, if you criticise a great person who is considered to be an incarnation, you will find that your criticism will be answered by calling you vain and egoist. The reason for this is mental ignorance. Logic and free thinking are the twin qualities that a revolutionary must inevitably possess.”

In recent years, many of India's largest universities have experienced significant turmoil, becoming stages for political manoeuvres, where student politics serves as a launching pad for broader ambitions. According to Louis Althusser, the State exercises control over its subjects through both repressive state apparatuses (like the police) and ideological state apparatuses (such as colleges and universities). Students are often used as instruments by politically affiliated organisations to promote specific ideologies.

In this context, they are provided with 'ready-made' heroes and icons to follow unquestioningly. Bhagat Singh warned against this mentality: "To say that Mahatmas, who are great, should not be criticised because they are above criticism and for this reason, whatever they say about politics, religion, economics and ethics is correct and that whatever they say will have to be accepted, whether you believe it or not, reveals a mentality which cannot lead us to progress and is clearly regressive."

Bhagat Singh was not against student politics; rather, he believed that politics, despite its frequent negative portrayal, is not an inherently bad concept. His conviction was that each student and youth should carry a vibrant vision — an inspiring aspiration for the kind of society they wish to shape and inhabit. While this dream may seem idyllic, it should never veer into the realm of dystopia. Instead, it should be a beacon of hope, illuminating a future filled with possibility and promise.

In his two important essays, "Students and Politics" and "Letter to Young Political Workers", Bhagat Singh expressed that "students should work to dismantle exploitative structures and build a society based on independence, democracy, and socialism. They should organise themselves and collaborate with peasants and workers... be active in politics and strive for a socialist revolution."

He imparted a message for students: “Crush your individuality first. Shake off the dreams of personal comfort. Then start to work. Inch by inch you shall have to proceed. It needs courage, perseverance, and very strong determination. No difficulties and no hardships shall discourage you. No failure and betrayal shall dishearten you. No travails imposed upon you shall snuff out the revolutionary will in you. Through the ordeal of suffering and sacrifice, you shall come out victorious. And these individual victories shall be the valuable assets of the revolution.”

Martha Nussbaum, in her writings, cautions that "it would be catastrophic to become a nation of technically competent people who have lost the ability to think critically, to examine themselves, and to respect the humanity and diversity of others."

Educators and advocates for education believe strongly that university and college campuses should not become isolated utopias but must reflect and contribute to the broader world beyond their boundaries.

The country needs citizens who are engaged and thoughtful, not submissive individuals or religious fundamentalists. Instead, we should strive to cultivate people who embody Bhagat Singh's philosophy: "The aim of life is no more to control the mind, but to develop it harmoniously, not to achieve salvation hereafter, but to make the best use of it here below, and not to realise truth, beauty and good only in contemplation, but also in the actual experience of daily life; social progress depends not upon the ennoblement of the few but on the enrichment of the many; and spiritual democracy or universal brotherhood can be achieved only when there is an equality of opportunity in the social, political and industrial life."