Progressive Students Collective

Progressive Student Collective aims to educate and organize students around critical issues facing our society. Throughout modern history, students have played a central role in raising critical questions, as well as lending support to struggles of the poor and the marginalized in society. From the Civil Rights Movement to anti-war protests, from the national liberation struggles to demands for gender equality, students have been at the forefront of every major effort at transforming society. In Pakistan, students were the vanguards in campaigns for social justice, civil liberties and national sovereignty, giving many heroic sacrifices in the midst of these struggles.

For the last three decades, however, the state has forbidden students from engaging in political activity, or even discussing issues relevant to the social, cultural, economic and political problems facing Pakistan. This has had the effect of cutting students off from the larger socio-political transformations in the country, and consequently, significantly eroding their capacity to influence the direction of society. Moreover, while the complete ban on student politics was celebrated as an attempt to save education from politics, it has had the opposite effect of curtailing the exchange of ideas on campuses throughout the country. In fact, a critical education requires asking difficult questions and interrogating society’s most cherished assumptions, even if leads to criticism of the powers that be. Unfortunately, the suppression of speech on campuses has not only taken away a student’s fundamental right to dissent, but has also adversely affected our education standards, with banalities and cliches replacing critical thinking in curricula and classrooms throughout the country.

We believe that the rot in our educational institutions, and in wider society, can only be overcome if we allow citizens the freedom to question and act based on their conscience, rather than on social conventions or governmental pressure. Only an engaged citizenry can play a positive role in identifying issues of concern, as well as holding those in power accountable. Thus, rather than viewing students with fear or pity, we hold that a politically well-informed and organized student body is a fundamental pillar of democratic rule.

PSC affirms the right of students to gain knowledge without fear of societal or governmental backlash. To this effect, we aim to generate debates, discussions, and cultural activities for students, on and off campuses, in order to familiarize ourselves with local, national and global issues in the contemporary world. We also want to learn and educate others about our rights and responsibilities, both as students and citizens. Finally, against the rampant individualism prevalent today, we hope to inculcate feelings of community, solidarity and public service, both among students, and between students and the wider society.

Through a spirit of inquiry, solidarity and patience, we believe that students in Pakistan can become key actors in shaping the destiny of our society. Keeping in view the social, economic and political disorientation faced by young people today, the need for building student power has never been more urgent. PSC will play its role in achieving this difficult, but absolutely necessary, task.