Have urged Himachal CM to allow students' poll: JP Nadda

Pratibha Chauhan

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Shimla, November 8

Several national-level leaders such as BJP president JP Nadda and former Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, several state ministers and MLAs have grown from student politics in HP University (HPU). However, elections to the Student Council Association in the state have not been held for the past 10 years due to the fear of violence.

“Student activism should be encouraged, as it help in strengthening democracy. Educational institutions like the HPU or colleges that are vibrant with student politics have proved to be a nursery for future leaders,” says Nadda, who remained the president of the SCA of the HPU way back in 1983 when the university campus was considered an unassailable citadel of the CPM.

He says, “It is for the state government to take the final call on holding elections to the students’ council. I have requested Jai Ramji to look into the issue.” There is a ban on the student council elections in the HPU and about 125 colleges across the state for the fear of violence. Nadda, who despite coming from a small state like Himachal, is heading the world’s largest party.

It was in May 2013 that the authorities concerned decided to cancel the SCA poll in the aftermath of violence between SFI and ABVP activists. Later, meritorious students were nominated to the SCA.

CPM MLA Rakesh Singha (Theog), Speaker Vipin Parmar (Sullah), Cabinet minister Ram Lal Markanda (Lahaul and Spiti), MLA Sukhvinder Sukhu (Nadaun), former MLA Satpal Satti (Una), Randhir Sharma (Naina Devi), MLA Rakesh Jamwal (Sundernagar) and several others, who learnt their first lessons in politics in the HPU, are in the fray for the elections.

About his fond memories of his time at the HPU, Nadda says that he lost the election to the post of general secretary of the SCA by 18 votes in 1980, when he had joined the HPU. The poll defeat was in a way a victory, as the ABVP had managed to make a dent in the CPM’s citadel. “It was for the first time that the ABVP managed to win the post of president of the HPU SCA when I won in 1983,” he says.

The HPU, a battleground for student outfits like the SFI, ABVP and the NSUI, is considered the CPM’s bastion though the BJP has made formidable gains, the foundation for which was laid by Nadda.