Are student leaders keen on taking up politics as a career?

As the nation celebrates seven decades as a democratic government this Republic Day, discussions on rights and duties loom large. With student politics a slowly growing practice in Jharkhand since the state’s establishment in 2000, policymaking is not a part of the conventional dialogue in the colleges of Ranchi.
But that doesn’t mean all is lost, as even today, students across the capital believe that politics requires participation — not criticism.The recent university elections of 2016 and 2018 have rekindled leaders’ and students’ interest in politics. RT spoke to some students, leaders and even candidates to find out their interests and challenges and if they want to be a part of mainstream politics.
Not a smooth transition
Tanuj Khatri, a PhD student at Ranchi University, has been active in student politics since his under-graduation days. Khatri was also the president of the PG Student’s Union of RU in the 2016 election. But he believes that the lack of encouragement to enter mainstream politics is a huge challenge. “Political parties speak of young faces, but the ground reality in Jharkhand is that you cannot have a smooth transition from student to mainstream politics. I have been extremely active in student politics since the early days, but I am still unsure of how I will join mainstream politics as a leader after I finish my education. Had I been a leader in say, New Delhi or West Bengal, I would have been more prepared. The lack of enthusiasm and support for student leaders here is a dampener. With the Vidhan Sabha elections round the corner, political parties must involve more student leaders and give them a chance. This will encourage more youngsters to join politics,” Khatri said.
First a job, then politics
For Ankush Kumar Sharma of St Xavier’s College, Ranchi, it is not the zeal for politics, but a passion to do more for society that drives him. The general secretary of the college body for 2018-19, Sharma wants a career in politics. “In all probability, I will join mainstream politics in the next 10-15 years. But I want to approach it the other way — by first becoming active socially and working for the people, and then joining a political cause. I think a sense of direction is extremely necessary and I want to be actively connected with the society and its reality as a ground-level worker before jumping into politics fulltime,” Sharma said.
Politics a costly option
As a candidate for a university election, Ajit Kumar Tiwary learned the lesson that politics is a costly affair. “As a student candidate in the departmental elections, I realised that politics is definitely a very expensive undertaking. One might take a noble stance and pretend to look away from reality, but it takes a lot of resources to build a political career. I will always be excited to take up politics as a career option. But coming from a middle-class background, I think I will need to face many such challenges,” Tiwary added.
Lack of role models
“Give me one good example of a student leader who is successful in mainstream politics from Jharkhand in the last decade. We don’t have any such names, and hence, no role models. When college students actively took part in politics and fought for their rights, they had leaders to follow. Our generation lacks the right leader and hence the disinterest in politics,” said Garima Topno, a final-year student of mass communication at St Xavier’s College, Ranchi. “The option of joining politics might sound and look lucrative, but the lack of successful student politicians in mainstream politics from the state cause concern and discourage us from taking part in the same,” she added.
Politics require skills
Kundan Tiwary, a student of Chottanagpur Law College, is a social worker and a student activist looking forward to a career in politics. For him, politics is a profession that needs skill sets more than interest. “Joining politics cannot and should not be a passive decision. Politics demands skill sets that helps you become a leader and accepted by people around you. In the modern world, it has become more of a marketing gimmick and the best one to sell their ideas win. Politics needs a lot of dedication and as a student, I believe young faces can make all the difference,” he said.