There is always something cooking on the social media, and just as every dish consists of some ingredients, these sensational stories and posts are also based on several speculations and conjectures. The latest one is enumerating the demerits of joining forums such as the Youth Parliament and Model United Nation (MUN), which are viewed by respective complainers as nothing more than “sanitised and class-insulated atmospheres” and “NGO-led simulations of politics.” According to them, it is high time that students of Pakistan questioned the 30-year-old ban on students’ unions and started making real-life decisions. However, in the midst of bringing awareness to Pakistani youth about its long forgone right, these activists have damned the whole purpose behind engaging the youth in such activities.
By sharing the experience of an idea being denied by a university to rivet the debates and debaters’ attention around the state of emergency in an MUN back in 2007, one can simply not slam the several countable and admirable attributes of other formats. Be that as it may, a simple ‘no’ from one institute’s administration does not make every MUN conflict-averse, and shallowness of several formats such as that of MUNs and debating societies cannot put a question mark on the rest. These activities are not mere ‘pantomimes’ as they are named by some, or a feast for the eyes of those who evaluate CVs of Youth Parliamentarians. They are meant to do a lot more.
The naysayers think of Youth Parliament sessions as days of useless activities, including campaigning for positions and passing resolutions, conducted by incentive-oriented organisations in air-conditioned halls where young blood is openly befooled and deprived of all its vigour. In their opinion, these imitations should be replaced with original democratic and political practices in which maximum participation of enthusiasts must be ensured. They highlight the absence of students’ unions in colleges and universities of this country, and identify it to be the reason behind wastage of youth’s time and energy.
Unfortunately, they have failed to realise a straightforward fact that this ban exists in Pakistan only, and these platforms exist not only in Pakistan but all around the globe. These include the European Youth Parliament, the World Youth Parliament, the UK Youth Parliament, the Youth Assembly at the United Nations, World Assembly of Muslim Youth, and Youth Parliament of Manitoba (Canada). These work for achieving similar aims as the Youth Parliament of Pakistan, which include encouraging youth to voice their conclusions, favouring the idea of conducting healthy dialogues to reach an agreement on vital subjects, and promoting peace and harmony at every level. The need of these assemblies and parliaments is vindicated by an undeniable fact that there exists the Youth Parliament in India despite the presence of students’ unions, the all-famous Kanhaiya Kumar being the president of one such union operative in the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
Those against this idea want the youngsters to sweat on roads instead of being subjected to cool breezes from air-conditioners. They have failed to notice a link between the two. Both lead to the same goal, i.e. strengthening of the political system, but have their own distinct ways of working. Both serve as training grounds for aspiring politicians and leaders but do so in accordance with their own mechanisms. Gone are the days when each community had devised its own set of laws; today, it is the countries that have to be run by a governing body. Each union may have its own objectives and partisan members and may unite at some level, yet laws can be made and enacted only by a legislative body.
One teaches them how to bring an issue into limelight, while the other impresses upon the methods through which the issue could be resolved, most probably by making laws. Their co-existence is what is essentially required in order to bolster democracy anywhere in the world because only then could the government truly be of, by and for the people. Preferring one over the other would be equivalent to comparing evolution and revolution with each other, knowing that both these roads lead towards change with their own perks and persecutions.
Just as unions coach students to become active citizens, similarly, these mock parliaments teach them about the existing political practices. Furthermore, if they are inquisitive enough to do so, members of the latter can also ferret out flaws in the system in effect, and ascertain the most suitable form of government for their country, let it be democracy or socialism. But none of this is possible with a populace that is completely unaware of its fundamental rights, and does not even know how different economic and political systems function.
Several members from previous batches of the Youth Parliament of Pakistan have joined this campaign as they seem to have the inside information of its proceedings. One such member specifically wrote about the “luxurious rooms” in which these students from different parts of the country stay, the “four meals” they eat every single day, and expensive study visits they go to. First of all, what ‘luxury’ could a room provide that is shared by two, sometimes four, people? Is air-conditioner a luxury when it comes to facilities provided by hotels? Even two-star hotels have these basic devices for their ratings. Besides, the secretariat does not force anyone to stay in one of the rooms; one may choose to put up a tent in the parking area of the hotel if he or she wants to enjoy nights free of all types of sumptuosity.
Furthermore, nights often go sleepless for the involved students owing to the preparation of policy drafts and business legislations. Secondly, breakfast, lunch and dinner are the three meals that are considered to be a necessity and, therefore, are served every day. Lectures and plenary sessions are followed by tea breaks in which one may choose to drink tea or offer prayers. Finally, just as it is beneficial to study workings of other countries’ governments, it is way more advantageous to closely observe these proceedings, hence the need of these study tours. Let us not forget that the majority of students’ unions all over the world organise special trips abroad for similar purposes. After all, no system is perfect and must strive to become better by following others’ example.
We must realise that whenever it comes to social forums and platforms, there always are a few free riders. Just like a major fraction of the population does not pay taxes, and just as several students join unions for gaining popularity, similarly some members of such assemblies and parliaments are dummies who are just there to enjoy the so-called luxuries. However, those who tirelessly work to make something out of those five days do become successful in achieving their goals in the end. And no one stops them from joining unions and political parties, and facing pogroms after having gained insights of the prevailing system.
Being the change you wish to see is, sadly, gruelling but the only way that leads to improvement and prosperity.
The writer is a student of Biotechnology