Get freebies to cast your ‘vote', test the candidate by asking tough questions after the ‘election speech' and join the poster war on the campus. Elections to the Student Union Council in Arts and Science colleges in Chennai are reminiscent not only of the General Elections but are also inspired by the U.S. Presidential election.
While many colleges have council members elected by the faculty; quite a few campuses elections are a gala affair where campaigning extends for a few weeks.
For years, elections in Presidency College were much talked about among the city colleges. Apart from fanfare and campaign, police personnel used to be stationed on the campus to prevent violence. However, of late, Union elections have become subdued with much of the administrative decisions being taken by the management.
Elections nowadays are a democratic process and can be compared to the general election, say students. “So much so that a group from the Presidency College in Kolkata had visited our college to study the democratic conduct of elections here,” says A. Antony Raj, president, who won the elections in 2010 beating six other candidates.
If electronic appliances caught the fancy of voters in the general elections, modest freebies such as pens and pencils were distributed to secure votes at Presidency College. “The purpose is to reach out and find a place in the hearts of students. We even stay in the hostels to understand the issues of students better,” says Raj.
The students are divided based on the bus routes, such as North Chennai and South Chennai, and a representative is elected from among the bus routes. There are independent candidates too. Students analyse their position and accordingly form alliances.
Leadership roles
Student council members are an important link between the students and management. At the end of the term what gives council members a sense of satisfaction is airing grievances about increasing price of items in the college canteen and drinking water facilities, etc. “We requested for more ladies special buses in the Mogappair-Anna Square route and the college principal forwarded the appeal to the MTC officials,” says J. Merlin, president, Quaid-e-Millath Government College for Women.
At the women's college, the rules are charted by the faculty. Generally students who have secured an aggregate of above 80 per cent are allowed to contest.
Whatever role students get to play in the council, leadership skills are honed. John Franklin, who completed his term from Patrician College of Arts and Science, says the position removes all inhibitions and you start thinking like a leader. “One of the first complaints I received was about the quality of food served by the new contractor in the canteen. I intervened and made sure the quality was improved,” he says with pride.
Lakshmi Kanna, who was the treasurer of Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women, says the stint made her responsible in handling accounts. “Rs. 1.7 lakh was the highest amount I was once carrying and sometimes money comes in cheques. Printing invitation cards, managing expenses during inter-collegiate events, your account needs to be up to date,” says the commerce graduate.
Larger platform
Contesting elections in some colleges can be a costly affair. Antony Raj's election expenses were largely met with help from friends and families. Ask him if he is keen about a career in mainstream politics, pat comes the reply. “I have found a place in the hearts of 2,000 students by campaigning for 45 days. I can do the same in the general elections, but I am not joining immediately,” he adds. In fact, Antony Raj has already been called by a few political parties.
Even Achira has a similar view. “You don't have to be a Chief Minister to bring about changes. I am already making small changes in my society by being part of an NGO,” she says.
Forming the cabinet
At M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women, it is titles such as ‘Prime Minister', ‘Deputy Chief Minister' and independent portfolio of ministers that make the role of the student cabinet important and answerable. The candidate for the PM post has to give a 15-minute talk on a topic, which is telecast through the campus television. Later, the ‘contesting PMs' go from class to class to answer questions from students. Achira H. Doshi recalls a student asking her “What is that you have, which she (my opponent) does not have?”
“That was tough question as we had both worked together in the previous cabinet. You have to play tough against each other and I cannot praise her,” says Achira, who completed her one-year term as Prime Minister. To ensure it a democratic process, it is mandatory that every student votes through the college intranet. “If you do not vote, you don't get the hall ticket,” she says.
