Though we apprehend that study is the only choice, for students, the view is not altogether errorless. We get frightened if they get diverted to politics. But such fear is baseless from Aristotle’s point of view that man is a political being.
Students are always eager to participate in games, sports, eager to view cinemas and theatres apart from taking interest in studies. Human being develops a tendency to know about the society in which he lives and the environment as well.
Even the rights and duties of citizens sometimes hunt their minds. They are diverted to politics in one way or another. But there is a great difference between understanding politics and taking part in politics actively.
The education of a student seems to be incomplete or imperfect without an interest in him to know the political development in the country vis-à-vis that of other countries. Political activities and affairs are so much intermixed within him that he cannot keep himself aloof from those. Instances of students participating in army in America during the Second World War are there in history.
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Students from the base of army from which the army of a country is recruited. The Nazi army too was composed of teenagers of numerous numbers. When we analyse the history of the struggle of India for freedom we come across example of students participating the freedom movement forsaking their studies. When the question of fighting for the freedom and honour of one’s motherland grips a student’s mind, he is enthused to join it.
Politics is good so far it is employed for removing injustice, removing hunger from the land by feeding to the hunger stricken millions and for freeing the country from a foreign rule.
Though a student is likely to devote himself to the pursuit of knowledge he should take extra academic interest. We cannot dissuade them from politics. The simple reason is one cannot check the political enthusiasm of a student by force.
But the demerits of taking part in active politics are many. The suffering of a student from political enthusiasm makes him liable to exploitation by selfish politicians. Thus guardians have enough reason to remark that it is meaningless to waste time in dirty politics. The politicians use the students as a tool by compelling them to take part in a movement. The student community is pressurized to take part in antisocial and antinational activities.
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When students become tools in the hands of political leaders they spoil their valuable career. The student power is utilised for fulfillment of their goal that is to hold power and accumulate wealth by fair or foul means. If the activities of students are not for the national good it is better not to join politics at all. While joining politics students should utilise their conscience.
The primary task of a student is to devote him to the study of books where as joining politics comes next. If the designs of notorious politicians seem to be antisocial or antinational, students should refuse to join them. The benefit of common man should be their aim and they should take only the constructive work into consideration.