By Prashant K. Nanda, IANS
New Delhi : Khalid Abdallah, a 29-year-old Sudanese student of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), is contesting the prestigious student union election this year to learn politics in India and restore democracy in his north African nation.
“Like Pakistan, my country is suffering from dictatorship. People in Sudan need efficient people to restore democracy and my contest in JNU elections is a step in that direction,” Abdallah told IANS.
“I have been in India for the last 12 years pursuing various academic qualifications. From Pune University to Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala to JNU, I have seen the democratic views of people in India and this is worth emulating,” he said.
Abdallah, who is doing M. Phil in international relations, is contesting for the post of a counsellor under the banner of the All India Students Association (AISA).
“The post for which I am contesting is not high profile but this is certainly a positive step in the direction of learning the democratic electoral process. After I return to my country, I can use my experience,” he said adding that for the last 18 years “people in Sudan have not been enjoying real democracy”.
Abdallah said he has a “long way to go” but the JNU election will help him understand Indian politics closely.
“I am understanding Indian politics and the success of democracy in spite of its huge geography, multi-religious and multi-lingual society. My observations of the last 12 years will help me when I am back in Sudan,” said Abdallah, who was earlier the president of the Foreign Students’ Association of the varsity.
Last year, Tyler William Walker from the US was elected to the post of vice president of the JNU student union, making him the first foreign student to occupy that post. Walker is doing his M. Phil in Hindi from JNU and was elected last year from the AISA – the same banner under which Abdallah is contesting. He is one of eight American students in JNU.
When asked why he is fighting under the AISA banner and not under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) or the Congress backed National Students Union of India (NSUI), Abdallah said AISA is “more democratic”.
“AISA is the only student organisation in JNU which is concerned more about international issues. Whether it’s the failure of democracy in Sudan, Palestine refugees, Iraq war – many such issues are discussed by our organisation.
“Last year, Walker fought from this banner and now I am doing it. It certainly speaks for the democratic thinking and liberal attitude of our group of students,” he said as the students went off to cast their votes.