[ Meme Mangfi ]
As registration for the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) begins this 1-2 February, a familiar fever is rising across the state. But as the political atmosphere heats up, a cold unease settles over the student fraternity. What should be a democratic exercise to empower the youths of Arunachal feels increasingly like a descent into a marketplace.
The AAPSU is the apex guardian of our rights. In the absence of a robust political opposition in the state, it has historically functioned as the de facto watchdog of governance and public accountability.
Yet, every election season, this immense responsibility is tested by a predictable cycle of drama, manipulation, and controversy. The current ‘outreach’ programmes by aspiring candidates look less like leadership and more like a hunt; they are crisscrossing the state not to listen to students’ grievances but to secure heads for the final tally. We are being fed selective truths and exaggerated claims carefully crafted for convenience rather than conviction.
The most corrosive element in this process is the unchecked, almost celebrated, flow of money. Sponsored feasts, logistics funding, and indirect incentives have become so normalised that they are no longer even hidden. We must stop to ask the uncomfortable questions that many choose to ignore: where does this enormous funding come from, and how do individuals carrying the ‘student’ tag afford campaigns that rival professional political elections? We must wonder who the invisible hands financing these campaigns are and, more importantly, what the ultimate price of that patronage will be for the future of our state.
When an election of ideas turns into a contest of resources, the student loses. This disconnect is deepened by the presence of leaders far beyond conventional student age. Some are reportedly well into their 40s. It begs the question of whether a leader who has not sat in a classroom for decades can truly represent the pulse of a modern research scholar or an undergraduate. If we allow student politics to be purchased by the highest bidder, we are not electing a representative; we are participating in an auction.
As we register this week, we must reflect on whether we are choosing a voice or simply becoming part of a transaction that compromises the very legitimacy of our institution. (The contributor is pursuing MA in mass communication at Arunachal Pradesh University, Pasighat)
