Politics behind depoliticising campuses?

A circular from the Directorate of Collegiate Education to its zonal offices had opined that such meetings affect students’ education and their research attitude and directed the officials not to permit such meetings. The instruction came at a time when actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan attended functions at colleges and gave speeches with a political slant. 

The functions attended by Rajinikanth drew a big crowd of students besides getting media attention. Kamal too used the college platforms to attract youth support to his Makkal Needhi Maiam. 

However, the Dravidian movement leaders had stopped visiting college campuses to deliver speeches. Though the state government’s order had triggered a spate of opposition from students’ organisations, the leaders of the Dravidian movement, barring MDMK general secretary Vaiko, have not come out against it. Vaiko had said even the British did not think of stopping the spread of political views to students. He said, “Political meetings addressed by scholars and leaders play a crucial role in nurturing future generations, informing the students on the present circumstances and involving them in debates. It sows the seeds of principles and turns them into achievers.” 

Surprisingly, there was no similar resistance to the move from the DMK which grew in college campuses through the speeches of former Chief Ministers CN Annadurai and M Karunanidhi, and party leaders such as R Nedunchezian, Madhiyazhagan and K Kalimuthu. Anna’s speech at the Madras Christian College in 1964 on ‘The basic philosophy of DMK’ and on ‘Moods and deeds’ at the Pachaiyappas College is still remembered by followers of the Dravidian movement. 

Former Speaker PH Pandian had narrated how hundreds of students, including himself, had joined the DMK after matinee idol MGR attended a meeting in the Pachaiyappas College in 1961. Political meetings in colleges were a regular feature in the 1970s and 1980s when the leaders of both the DMK and AIADMK had taken part and conveyed their party’s stand on the burning issues of that time. However, there was lull in such meetings over the last two decades until Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth revived the culture of meetings at colleges campuses. There are allegations that the circular was aimed at preventing both the actors from using college campuses.

Makkal Needhi Maiam functionaries see the direction as a fallout of the fear of the AIADMK which may  not return to power again. One of the MNM functionaries, Bharathi Krishnakumar, said, “Kamal Haasan is not speaking party politics in college functions. He has not appealed to any student to come out of the AIADMK and join his party. Kamal is not asking students to join politics. He is only asking them to understand politics without affecting their studies.” However, student leaders do not see the circular as an attack only on the two actors and say it is an attempt to suppress the growing awareness among students. 

Abdul Rahman, general secretary of Campus Front, a student organisation, said, “The circular was intended to bury the political views of students and turning them into herds of cattle at a time when the Tamil Nadu people are fighting against the union and state governments. The students are getting more aware about the political situation and they are gearing up to take part in the protests. The rulers are aware that political changes in Tamil Nadu begin from the college campuses.”