[Points: The primary duties of students—knowledge of political matters vs. active politics—the latter often a dirty game and hence injurious—role of political leaders.]
The student life is the most important period of a man's life. The training a student receives, the habits and qualities he acquires, deter mine the kind of life he will live in future. If he acquires knowledge and the virtue of strength of mind and character, he is sure to prosper in the world. If, on the contrary, he neglects these primary duties by indulging in undesirable activities, he will, surely go to the wall. And active politics is one of such activities for a student.
No doubt students, particularly college students, should acquire an accurate knowledge of political matters and form sound views on them. For this they should be encouraged to discuss political questions freely in the college among themselves and with their teachers and eminent public men of sound views. But when it comes to active participation in what is called political agitation, we must draw the line. Active politics is often a dirty game full of passion and excitement and party feelings. Students are of immature judgement and emotional by nature. So once they get themselves involved in this passion and excitement, they become almost slaves to them like a person addicted to a strong liquor. They allow their opinions, even on academic matters, to be influenced by party considerations. They think nothing of being used as agents and tools in the hands of political parties.. They march out in political processions and shout political slogans. All these inevitably interfere with their primary duties and prove injurious to their intellectual and moral growth. Moreover, politics, as distinguished from party politics, is a noble and complex art. It cannot but be lost in dignity if students of imperfect knowledge and immature judgement try to dominate it. We complain of indiscipline and lowering of intellectual and moral standard among our students. These are to some extent due to their political obsession. But the most regrettable part of the affair is the role played by our political leaders in this dirty game. If only they keep aloof from students, the situation will take a turn for the better and students will go back to their normal duties.
