17th November is observed around the world as International Day of Students but majority of our students might not be aware of the importance of this day and also of an important role they can play in bringing change in their society and country. To understand this, we need to go back to 1939 to Czechoslovakia, which was then ruled by Nazi Germany. The students at the Charles University of Prague were not happy of the strict rule of Nazi Germans and in a demonstration of students, a student by the name of Jan Opletal got badly injured and then died of his wounds. On 15th November, thousands of students and professors got together in the funeral procession of Jan Opletal, which then turned into a mass demonstration against the Nazi government. This demonstration brought into action the Nazi machinery that raided to the university; 1200 students were arrested and sent to the concentration camps while 9 professors and students were executed without any trial. This also brought the closure of all the universities and colleges in the country. On the same day in 1941, the day was first marked as International Students’ Day in London by the International Students’ Council in which there were many refugees, who had escaped from the areas controlled by the Nazi regime.

However, this day (17th November) also became base for a number of student-involved movements, giving birth to critical changes. In November 1973, students of the Athens Polytechnic went on strike. They were protesting against the regime of military junta that ruled the country at that time. Students barricaded themselves in the university and launched a radio station from the equipment that they found in the laboratories. The broadcast of this radio soon echoed in every corner of Athens, tolling the bell of danger for the military rulers. Thousands of citizens also joined the students but the military junta came into action and crushed this movement strictly. Many students were injured in the military raid and the movement came to an end without any gain for students but it definitely left the basis for the fall of military rule in the country. This day also marks the beginning of a crucial change in Czechoslovakia. At that time, the country was ruled by the communist party of Czechoslovakia and students started demonstrations against the government, demanding more social freedom and civil rights. Soon the riot police and other law-enforcement agencies came into action and hundreds of students were brutally beaten by these agencies. However, this action of government did not bring down the morale of students and they went on strike along with actors from theatres. The following events that took place brought about the downfall of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.

These events show that students have more power than all other groups of the society. They have the power to stir the basis of a government, to set right the wrong actions and to alter the course of history but all these things can only happen when they realize their importance. It is the reason why, it has always been the desire of totalitarian governments to keep them silent and avoid any kind of clash with them as they realize that, when students rise, they can bring a wave of awareness in every member of the society.  Unfortunately, Afghan students have not been given the opportunities and say in the affairs of society so that they should have played better role in the society. A number of fears have grappled our students. In government universities, extreme power and authority of their teachers oppress their natural confidence and talents. I personally know a number of students who are more afraid of the behavior and mood of their teachers than anything else in the world and this has created some psychological problems for them. According to them, their success in their studies does not depend on how hard they work but on a fact that how happy and satisfied they keep teachers. When they get angry from a student, a student can never be successful and he is left with no other option except to quit studies and do something else.

In private universities, they have been intoxicated by the poison of cheating and approach and if they can cheat or have good relations, they can easily pass the university without attending any lesson in it.  

The present circumstances invite our students to play better role in the affairs of the state. First, they will have to make a strong commitment with themselves to bring the change in their personalities before thinking of any change in the society. The personal character of students will define the character of tomorrow’s society so they will have to be careful in this regard. Just like other countries, our students are also unfortunate to use internet for negative purposes and wasting their time. On the other hand, they can avail all the knowledge of the world from the unlimited treasures of knowledge given on the web.

Secondly, they will have to be careful as not to become puppets in hands of politicians. Students have energy, but mean politicians can at times utilize this energy for their heinous aims and objectives. In the same way, the extremist factors are also infiltrating our educational institutes and our students may fall prey for them. Very recently, we heard of the extremist factors on rise in the University of Nangarhar where some students demonstrated with the flags of Taliban and ISIS. Similarly, a number of extremist groups are also utilizing the social networking sites to attract students. When students will get busy in unnecessary political activities, they will definitely be distracted from their actual cause and they will never be able to accomplish successfully their goal of becoming an important member of the society.

Many students discovered their hidden talents and worked hard to expose it. They became inventors, innovators and put the basis of something new. They changed the overall shape of the society. In the same way, there may be similar talents in our students and if they have discovered it, they need to be brave enough to ignore difficulties and make their attempt to turn this talent into an achievement. Their achievement might become the achievement of the society.

Students have always been on the forefront of change in the societies. Whenever students have demonstrated their power, they have brought the change. Today, it is needed that students should make their voices heard and opinions appreciated. Our hopes of today and tomorrow are pinned with them and they need to realize this!