Hundreds of Kabul University students have been marching a peaceful sit in protest in front of the Parliament House since Monday (May 20, 2013) demanding the basic rights of being a student which are the reform and standardization of the educational system in the university. All the students’ demands and problems are deemed to be similar but the problems of around 77 students of Social Science Faculty are quite different. It is for five days that the students of Social Science Faculty, along peaceful demonstration have gone on hunger strike. The protestors who are on hunger strike include both male and female students. They are accusing the head and some faculty members of Social Sciences Faculty of Kabul University involved in promotion and practices of discriminations of ethnic and sectarian nature within the faculty and university environment. This is the fifth day of their hunger strike, but there has not been any practical action by government authorities and members of Parliament in the house to hear them for their demands. They are not marching to demand political power. They are not protesting to force the government to build them a new university. They are not demonstrating to disqualify the President. They are tolerating the burning rays of sun for days on hunger strike to demonstrate for their basic rights to be respected and fulfilled by the government and university authorities.

Being as a human, it would be a curse to be so unwilled regarding your surroundings, society and future. Sharing the same problem and being one of them fighting the discrimination and injustice in the society made me to find myself among them and give some minutes of time hearing to them. Though I am not in a position to take practical action for solving their problem, but contributing an hour of my time reporting my hearings to the authorities do make me relieved of pain. Along appreciating there peaceful and unique movements, I came across to hear Mr. Hamidullah Mohammadi, one of the protesters of the movement regarding the issue.

“There were around 90 students enrolled in this faculty, but since the last three years, as a result of discriminations and low quality of the standards; only 45 students are remaining. Rests of them have quitted the university,” Said Mr. Mohammadi. The Ministry of Higher Education authorities reject the accusations against the faculty authorities and have claimed that the students, as a result of being failed are marching on the street. We cannot fulfill their demands of asking for grades. On the other hand, Mr. Mohammadi reports the issue rather differently, “40 out of 70 students which forms 60% of the class from a particular ethnicity remain failed in an examination that can be considered nothing rather than an intentional discrimination of the professor during the calculation of grades.” Moreover, Mr. Mohammad further detailed that along referring to several government authorities, they had taken out a peaceful demonstration against the issue during the last month, but the deputy minister by promising them practical reform in the faculty administrations convinced them for silence. Considering the no reforming action by the ministry, they are committed to continue the strike unless their demands are met.

“It is not the only Faculty of Social Science students who are tolerating the injustice and discrimination acts by the authorities; this is the virus which has infected the whole university and faculties. It is not above the expectation that incase our demands are not met, all the students of the Kabul university are committed to support our movement and will march on the streets.” said Mr. Mohammadi. 

All the protestors are well-committed to continue their strike tolerating the burning sun rays without any tent to provide shadow protecting them from the direct sun rays. “Though installing a tent was programed, but the security personnel and officers did not allow us to install tent,” said Mohammad Jan, one of the other protesters among the hunger strikers. In addition, most of the protestors’ health situation is reported to be serious and unfortunately the nearby government hospital (Istiqlal Hospital) personnel have not been so cooperative in this regard. They are charging the patients for providing them a single medical care and intentionally ignoring them.

Considering the ungrounded issues and corruption rate in Kabul University, the students who have been fighting in between their lives and death for the last five days are having the following clear and reasonable demands. Their demands are not met, unless we support them. In fact, we are not supporting them;

1. The head of faculty, Mr. GhulamFarooq Abdullah should be dismissed and disqualified of his positions due to not being qualified for post and promoting discriminations among the faculty members and students. Moreover, Mr. Adbullah, along promoting ethnic, racial and sectarian conflicts among the faculty members and students, lacks management skills and social manner to be reserving the rank of faculty dean. Mr. Abdullah, besides not trying for a change in management of faculty, encourages and supports the likeminded professors. Furthermore, he is accused of physical punishment of students when he is referred to.
2. Disqualification and Dismissal of the Professor Faisal Amin is another demand. He is accused of supporting the ill ideologies of the faculty dean in promoting discriminations, racial and sectarian conflicts among the students and faculty members. University is deemed to be the foundation for advancement, training of personalities, educating the society and removing the gabs that have long victimized the society, but unfortunately the case with Kabul university is rather different, because there are professors like Faisal and deans like Abdullah who are running the university.
3. The system and methodologies being implied in Kabul University are not as of the international standards. All the materials being used by professors are out of date and the professors are not well qualified to update their lecture materials according to the demand of time. It is the age of technology, but the students at Kabul University are still using hand written chapters which lack accuracy and even contain spelling errors. The professors and executive board of the university, along not being qualified of duties, are lacking manners of being an academic personality. A rich well-equipped library and stable Internet connection are the basic needs of the university, but unfortunately, Kabul University as of being one of the most famous and well equipped university in all over the state lacks these primarily facilities for students and faculty members.
4. Equal and Proper Enforcement of Law and Order- There is a famous quote in English which says, "Rules are for fools, wise people make it and break it," the quote exactly suites the environment of the Kabul university. Rules are defined by the executive board and faculty members but unfortunately so openly and proudly are ignored and broken by the same board and faculty members. Students are being graded on the bases of race, ethnicity, sect and even physical appearance. Students are being failed intentionally for physical harassment and bribery.
5. Our peaceful demonstrations and movements will not end till our demands are met and will continue to march on the streets and roads noticing any further actions that may promote the issues of discriminations of racial and ethnic nature. The further movements in case of noticing such acts will not remain limited to university students; it will include the civilians too. The ministry of Higher education authorities have been trying to label the movement of nothing more than an ethnic movement, but to clarify the misconception for the nation and authorities; it would be unfair to enlist all the faculty members as of corrupt figures. There are some qualified and well-educated professors at the university who have been doing their best of duties and we respect them without any consideration of their ethnicity affiliations and sectarian believes. The movement is for achieving the basic rights without any consideration and involvement of ethnicity and political views. It will not end unless the demands are met.

The protestors are not claiming for power. They are not demanding for government dismissal. What they are demanding are the basic rights that every one of us has been deprived of for decades. What they are demanding is not above the authorities of government. What they are demanding can be the foundation of a peaceful and civilized society for every one of us. Let’s put aside all our personal hatred and ignorance of each other, and support such movements for a better tomorrow living under one flag as a firm nation. Let’s forget being Hazara, Pashton, Tajik and Uzbak. Let’s try being one nation. Let’s get together and get the Kabul University out of the danger, before it is drowned in the ocean of extremism and ignorance.