>
Strikesare a common feature ofSchool and College life in India, morespecially in Uttar Pradesh. There is hardly a session in which students donot abstain from attending the classes and indulge in acts of violence andhooliganism. Everyday the newspapers brings news of strike in some school or college or the other in the state. Students go on strike even when there are nosolid reasons for it. In this respect, my college is no expectation.
Asin the previous years, this year also there was a strike in my college in July, the students voiced a number of complaints andgrievances. First, there was no suitable arrangements for drinking water. More of water-taps wereneeded. Notice-boards were few, more of notice-boards in different parts of the college campus must be provided to avoidinconvenience to the students.Thirdly, students who had not been granted admission, must be admitted. Fourthly, the entireProctorial Board must be suspended as it was too strict. Fifthly, the hostelwardens, too, must be changed. Sixthly, students must be given representation on allthe administrative bodies of the college.Pamphlets, containing these and many other demands, were distributed and inthis way ‘public opinion’, was built in support of the demands.
Then the President andthe Secretary ofthe college Student’s Unionmet the Principal and presented to him the charter of demands. The Principalgave them a patient hearing. The demands were sympathetically considered. Morereasonable of the demands were soon granted. For example, more of water-tapsand notice-boards were provided in different part of the college campus. Tube-lights were fitted inclassrooms. But the student’s union was not satisfied, and a call for a generalstrike was given.
So,the next morning when I went to college I found the words “A generalmeeting of the students at 10 A.M, outside the College Hall” written on the notice-boardand on the walls. Exactly at 10 O’clock, the bell wasrung by a student. At once, all of us came out of our classes. There was alarge gathering outside the Hall. Slogans like, “”Student unityZindabad were shouted loudly.” Then the Union President and Secretary addressed the students. There was repeated clappingand cheering. The upshot was that the strike decision was confirmed. Then the students moved in a procession through the college campus. Here and there a few classeswere going on.
Theywere disturbed and the students were forced to come out. During thenight, some miscreants even tried to setfire to the college office. However, such actions did not havethe sympathy ofthe students in general. It was a successfulstrike. There was picketing at the college doors and no students could come in. Soon the negotiationsbetween thecollege authoritiesand the students began again. The representatives ofthe students knew that the strike could not go onfor ever. There was pressure from the guardians. So, they partconceded some more of the demands of thestudents. The result was that thestrike was called off. It had already lasted for fifteen days, and we were allglad when it ended.
Strikesmean a great wastage of time and energy. As far aspossible, students should avoid going on strikes. Theyshould first see to it that their demands are justified and reasonable. Astrike based based on unreasonable demands can never be successful.
Techno-blog 