The Political Role of Students in Underdeveloped Countries

Abstract

THE STUDENTS in underdeveloped countries are a political force of some consequence. In most of these societies, students assume political participation even before finishing their studies, bringing national, tribal and local politics into campus in a very direct way. It is true that student population in many of developing nations is really numerically small (in proportion to total population), but very facts that governments in many of new nations argue with students or force them to accept their policies, or that students themselves can impose their demands upon their governments, are indications of potential power of 'educated youth'. Governments, conscious of student community, always hope to influence it or even repress some of its leaders. (Thus President of Ivory Coast recently engaged in a dialogue with student leaders, arguing with them, and finally threatening to suspend important government scholarships in order to ensure loyalty of student organization. And yet it is hard to imagine that head of a Western nation would engage in a protracted dispute with student leaders in order to ensure loyalty of student union.) But if all else fails, governments close universities for extended periods-as happened recently in Burma and India. On other hand, high school and university students can even force radical changes of their governments, as happened in 1966 in Indonesia; or they can even change course of international events, as happened in Japan in I960, when riots promoted and headed by National Federation of Student Self-Government Associations (Zengakuren) forced government to cancel its invitation to President Eisenhower to visit Japan. In fact, if we include average college and university student in category of 'intellectuals', then we can accept Shils' thesis that the gestation, birth, and continuing life of new states of Asia and Africa, through all their vicissitudes, are in large measure work of intellectuals. In no state-formation in all of human history have intellectuals played such a role as they have in these events of present century., In fact, since I960's, and especially since 1965, role of student movements in politics has taken on disturbing, if not terrifying, aspects. Recent events in South-east Asia, Africa and other restless parts of world have demonstrated importance played by college-and even high school-students in politics. A student's job is, of course, to study; but there are occasions when his decision to lay aside his books and to take up a political banner can make all difference in political future of his country. The coup against President Sukarno of Indonesia in 1966 is a good example of student action at its best-or at its worst. There are, of course, very many causes and factors involved in present troublesome situation. What are some of most important ones ?