Pakistan: Punjab Student Protest Against Privatization

The right-wing government of Punjab has taken the decision to privatize 26 leading colleges. This has sparked anger in the people and the students. The privatization is being carried out under the cover of so called "autonomy". The government claims that it is only giving internal autonomy to the colleges and has created boards of governors in the colleges. But the teachers and students know the government's intentions very well.

This disguise of "internal autonomy" has been used so many times by the government for privatization that this time no one is ready to accept it. Making a board of governors is especially criminal because it will take complete control. The principals and teachers have been reduced to mere rubber stamps. The members of the board will be taken from the feudal and capitalist classes and it will generate funds from the institutions, and thus fee will rise, making higher education impossible for working class families.

As soon as the decision was taken the teachers of the colleges started protesting. The joint action committee of students and teachers has called protests throughout the Punjab. After a long time, students in Pakistan have taken to the streets and have scared the government by their passionate protests. The police and administration have reacted with brutality against the students and teachers. The protest in Lahore was attacked and students and teachers were injured. But the movement is refusing to slow down. In all, students from 26 colleges protested throughout Punjab and clashed with police and administration.

Protests in Multan

Multan is the largest city of Southern Punjab and has a strong tradition of revolutionary protests. In 1968-69 the students and workers of the city were at the forefront of the nationwide movement. College students took to streets to protest against the privatization. The comrades of the Punjab Student Federation (PSF, linked to the PPP) and BNT (unemployed youth movement) in the Multan region are leading these protests. Comrade Aasim, Comrade Anam, Comrade Mahbaloos ,Comrade Hina, Comrade Aqsa, Comrade Haleema and Comrade Pasha are actively leading and organizing these protests.

A great achievement was the organizing of a protest in the Women’s Degree College in Multan, the largest educational institution for women in Southern Punjab. Comrade Anam, Mahbaloos and Hina organized the students of the college under the banner of The Struggle Group. They distributed revolutionary literature and leaflets to the students. Our comrades have won the trust of the protesting student, who are attracted by revolutionary ideas.

More than 600 students in the Degree College for Women are protesting on a daily basis. The college administration has banned the entry of comrade Anam into the college but the students broke all the rules and brought her into the college anyway. The college administration is threatening the comrades and students but morale is high. The male students of colleges in the city protested on the road outside the Women’s Degree College to show their solidarity. More than a thousand students participated in the rally.

Criminal Role of PPP leadership

The government of Punjab is privatizing the colleges in accordance with the agenda of the IMF whose representative, Mr Hafiz Sheik, is the federal minister of finance in the PPP government. Gillani, the PPP Prime Minister of Pakistan, recently went on record saying that the “nationalization of educational institutions by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was wrong”. His statement sparked anger in the rank and file of PPP workers but he did not withdraw the statement.

The PPP is part of the coalition government in Punjab and hence is party to this decision. During the week voices have been heard in the Party in support of the protests but the leadership is certainly not supporting it. However, the PSF (PPP student wing) is participating in the protests especially in areas where our comrades are active, although they are being discouraged by the leadership.

PPP Secretary General Mr Jahangir Badar has issued a statement in support of protests and defended Bhutto's educational policy, but that is not enough. The PPP must break the coalition with the right wing in Punjab and actively support the protests. Our comrades are raising the slogans of breaking the coalition and are getting a very good response from the students.

Our demands:

• Stop the privatization and the Board of Governors.

• End the brutality against students and teachers.

• Make education free for all.

• Dismiss PM Gillani and Hafiz Sheikh and end IMF policies

• Break the coalition with the PML-N.

• All charges against protesters must be immediately withdrawn.

Trade union support for the students is vital and our comrades are working hard to unite the trade unions with the students. The comrades will continue their struggle for the socialist revolution to the end.

Long live the socialist revolution!

Lahore, 22^nd December.