National Students Federation
Encyclopedia
National Students Federation (NSF) is a Left-wing students federation in Pakistan.
Its predecessor, the DSF
(Democratic Students Federation), had links to the Communist Party of Pakistan
. It had power base among progressive students from Dow Medical
and DJ Science Colleges. It dominated student politics in Karachi, the then Federal Capital of the country. In a convention at the national level of students, held in Khaliqdina Hall, Karachi
(1953), the DSF renamed itself to APSO (All Pakistan Students Organisation), laying claim to being a national movement and hoping to spread the student revolution to the whole country. Demonstrations and strikes had already paralysed the federal capital for several days. The government apparently gave in by sacrificing the federal minister of education, Mr Fazlur Rahman, hailing from the eastern wing
. He was sacked from his post. It was not much of a victory for the students. APSO was banned and the leaders were thrown in Karachi Central Jail. NSF (The National Students Federation) a nationalist and right-wing group which had been propped up by the help of secret service to counter DSF's activities, was invaded practically overnight by the now banned DSF party members, who were still outside. The ex-DSFites had enough muscle and organisational skills to take over the control of NSF in 1956, thus its new "left" leaning profile emerged. Right from the start, DSF was infested with the presence of double agents/informers from the secret service.
NSF saw its first major split in 1965,between the so-called pro-China and pro-Moscow factions, better known as the NSF-Miraj Group and the NSF-Kazmi Group. While the NSF-Mairaj group supported the PPP, the NSF Kazmi group was the student arm of the National Awami Party
(NAP), which today is the ANP
.
NSF is active in many Pakistani universities and colleges. It played a major role in the popular student and labour uprising against the pro-US dictatorship of Field Marshal Ayub Khan in 1967 and 1968. NSF activists were among the first major supporters of future Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and his populist/Socialist Pakistan Peoples Party
. One of the leading leaders of NSF, Meraj Muhammad Khan
, was made a minister in Bhutto's first cabinet but both NSF and Meraj fell out with the Bhutto government in 1973 when Bhutto started to compromise on his socialist agenda.
Meraj Mohammad Khan remained president of NSF till 1967 and was later replaced by Rasheed Hassan Khan (student of Dow Medical College Karachi) in a council session held in Lahore in 1970.
The following are the main reasons which contributed in withdrawing NSF support from the PPP.
1- After the PPP won the 1970 election
and emerged as the single largest party in West Pakistan
, it refused to acknowledge the mandate of the Awami League and their demands
of greater autonomy and furthermore its policies regarding army operation in East Pakistan. The NSF and Mazdoor Kissan Party
were the main left organizations who strongly opposed army operation against Bengalis.
2- Differences further deepened when the NSF realized that Bhutto was backing off from his promises of radical changes which he made to students and the working class.
3- Bhutto wanted to silence his dissidents so he cracked down on the workers and students.
The breaking point between Bhutto and the NSF came when Bhutto crushed the labour movement
in Site on 7-8 June and in Landhi on 17-18 October in 1972. Several workers were killed and hundreds arrested. Rasheed Hassan Khan, then a president of NSF, had to go underground.
Consequently the NSF withdrew its support from the PPP and exposed Bhutto’s hypocrisy and opportunistic politics. Miraj Mohamed khan decided to remain in the PPP. His theory was that the establishment
was trying to create conflicts among the working class and the PPP. In later years due to his differences with Bhutto, Miraj Khan left the PPP. Miraj later formed Qumi Mohaz-e-Azadi and his own faction of NSF. And once, a flambount student leader like Miraj fell in to political isolation and he never regained his previous political credibility and popularity.
NSF saw a further split in 1980's when USSR invaded Afghanistan
. A majority faction condemned the soviet invasion, believed that revolution can not be exported. It was said that this will provide opportunity to imperialist powers to use religious extremist to curb progressive movements.With in Afghanistan various Marxist parties and groups were also dived over the issue. The small faction headed by Zahid Hussain took the position that criticizing so called 'Afghan soor revolution' would meant to be supporting the Mujahideen
and see this as support to the Army Junta and dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq, playing into the hands of the USA. That gave birth to a small dissident group headed by Zahid Hussain liquidated soon and member of this faction later joined various pro soviet groups or took positions in establishment.
These splits and the state crack down on NSF helped NSF's arch rivals, the right-wing, Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba
(IJT), the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami
, gain ground in the many student union elections held in the country's campuses in the 1970s and the 1980s. Till then the NSF had been sweeping student union elections in the 1950s and 1960s. NSF was also affected by the creation of the Pakistan Peoples Party's student wing, the Peoples Students Federation
(PSF) whose main purpose was to counter the NSF opposition to PPP in the early 1970s.
When left leaning and progressive parties were persecuted and harassed by the right-wing dictatorship of President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s, dozens of NSF activists were arrested, tortured and expelled from the campuses. NSF joined alliance of progressive student parties that included DSF, PSF
and many secular nationalist student groups like Baloch Students Federation in students' union elections across the country. NSF gained significant victories in students unions elections before they were banned by General Zia-ul-Huq in 1984. When students’ union elections were banned the NSF joined hands with all student organizations against this oppression and announced 100 days of protest on campuses. Islami Jamiat Talaba and NSF were the two biggest components of this alliance of students.
NSF suffered heavily from the trend of violence once pioneered by IJT
and later adopted by APMSO, and MSF which was intensified in the late 1980s and 1990s. Progressive students were banned from entering or holding their political activities on campuses. Subsequently major campuses have become no go areas for progressive students and NSF is now overshadowed by pro establishment and other regional groups like APMSO and PSF and by Islamic fundamentalist student parties such as IJT and Pakistan Muslim League
's student wing, Muslim Students Federation (MSF).
NSF is not strong as it used to be however its reorganising and have active units in Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi, Sailkot and some other cites. It has taken part in Lawyers' Movement
against the dictatorship of General Pervaiz Musharraf.
NSF is now regrouping and has recently seen activities associated with re-organisation taking along some of the old comrades as well as new ones.
Its predecessor, the DSF
DSF
DSF can mean:* Deutsches Sportfernsehen, a German TV channel for sport* Democratic Students' Front, an independent political students' organisation of Jadavpur University* DSF Refractories & Minerals Ltd, a British refractory brick manufacturer...
(Democratic Students Federation), had links to the Communist Party of Pakistan
Communist Party of Pakistan
The Communist Party of Pakistan is a communist party affiliated with Communist Party of the Russia. Before the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the party had long association and ties with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union ....
. It had power base among progressive students from Dow Medical
Dow University of Health Sciences
Dow University of Health Sciences is a coeducational medical university, owned by Mohammad Hamza Rahman and founded in 2003, in Karachi, Pakistan. It comprises two already established schools, Dow Medical College, and Sindh Medical College as well as the newly formed Dow International Medical...
and DJ Science Colleges. It dominated student politics in Karachi, the then Federal Capital of the country. In a convention at the national level of students, held in Khaliqdina Hall, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
(1953), the DSF renamed itself to APSO (All Pakistan Students Organisation), laying claim to being a national movement and hoping to spread the student revolution to the whole country. Demonstrations and strikes had already paralysed the federal capital for several days. The government apparently gave in by sacrificing the federal minister of education, Mr Fazlur Rahman, hailing from the eastern wing
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
. He was sacked from his post. It was not much of a victory for the students. APSO was banned and the leaders were thrown in Karachi Central Jail. NSF (The National Students Federation) a nationalist and right-wing group which had been propped up by the help of secret service to counter DSF's activities, was invaded practically overnight by the now banned DSF party members, who were still outside. The ex-DSFites had enough muscle and organisational skills to take over the control of NSF in 1956, thus its new "left" leaning profile emerged. Right from the start, DSF was infested with the presence of double agents/informers from the secret service.
NSF saw its first major split in 1965,between the so-called pro-China and pro-Moscow factions, better known as the NSF-Miraj Group and the NSF-Kazmi Group. While the NSF-Mairaj group supported the PPP, the NSF Kazmi group was the student arm of the National Awami Party
National Awami Party
The National Awami Party was a leftist political party in Pakistan. The party was founded in Dhaka in erstwhile East Pakistan in July 1957 through the merger of several leftist and progressive groups. It advocated provincial autonomy, rights on the basis of ethnicity, recognition of ethinicities...
(NAP), which today is the ANP
Awami National Party
The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...
.
NSF is active in many Pakistani universities and colleges. It played a major role in the popular student and labour uprising against the pro-US dictatorship of Field Marshal Ayub Khan in 1967 and 1968. NSF activists were among the first major supporters of future Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and his populist/Socialist Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
. One of the leading leaders of NSF, Meraj Muhammad Khan
Meraj Muhammad Khan
Meraj Muhammad Khan is a political leader in Pakistan. A founding member of the Pakistan Peoples Party of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto he served as Federal Minister for Manpower in the first PPP government , falling out with Bhutto in 1975 he was arrested and imprisoned in solitary confinement till his...
, was made a minister in Bhutto's first cabinet but both NSF and Meraj fell out with the Bhutto government in 1973 when Bhutto started to compromise on his socialist agenda.
Meraj Mohammad Khan remained president of NSF till 1967 and was later replaced by Rasheed Hassan Khan (student of Dow Medical College Karachi) in a council session held in Lahore in 1970.
The following are the main reasons which contributed in withdrawing NSF support from the PPP.
1- After the PPP won the 1970 election
Pakistani general election, 1970
General elections were held for the first time in Pakistan in on 7 December 1970, although the polls in East Pakistan, originally scheduled for October, were delayed by disastrous floods and rescheduled for later in December and January 1971....
and emerged as the single largest party in West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
, it refused to acknowledge the mandate of the Awami League and their demands
Six point movement
The 6 Point Movement was a Bengali nationalist movement in East Pakistan spearheaded by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which eventually led to the liberation of Bangladesh. The movement's main agenda was to realize the six demands put forward by a coalition of Bengali nationalist political parties in 1966,...
of greater autonomy and furthermore its policies regarding army operation in East Pakistan. The NSF and Mazdoor Kissan Party
Mazdoor Kissan Party
The Mazdoor Kisan Party was a communist party in Pakistan.-Creation:At the end of 1967 the National Awami Party in Pakistan split into the factions of Maulana Bhashani and Wali Khan. The leftist members of the NAP, many of whom were active in a Peasant Committee, decided to follow the Wali Khan...
were the main left organizations who strongly opposed army operation against Bengalis.
2- Differences further deepened when the NSF realized that Bhutto was backing off from his promises of radical changes which he made to students and the working class.
3- Bhutto wanted to silence his dissidents so he cracked down on the workers and students.
The breaking point between Bhutto and the NSF came when Bhutto crushed the labour movement
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
in Site on 7-8 June and in Landhi on 17-18 October in 1972. Several workers were killed and hundreds arrested. Rasheed Hassan Khan, then a president of NSF, had to go underground.
Consequently the NSF withdrew its support from the PPP and exposed Bhutto’s hypocrisy and opportunistic politics. Miraj Mohamed khan decided to remain in the PPP. His theory was that the establishment
Establishment (Pakistan)
The Establishment is a term used commonly by Pakistani political scientists and also by political scholars and analysts around the world for the powerful military-dominant oligarchy in Pakistan...
was trying to create conflicts among the working class and the PPP. In later years due to his differences with Bhutto, Miraj Khan left the PPP. Miraj later formed Qumi Mohaz-e-Azadi and his own faction of NSF. And once, a flambount student leader like Miraj fell in to political isolation and he never regained his previous political credibility and popularity.
NSF saw a further split in 1980's when USSR invaded Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. A majority faction condemned the soviet invasion, believed that revolution can not be exported. It was said that this will provide opportunity to imperialist powers to use religious extremist to curb progressive movements.With in Afghanistan various Marxist parties and groups were also dived over the issue. The small faction headed by Zahid Hussain took the position that criticizing so called 'Afghan soor revolution' would meant to be supporting the Mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
and see this as support to the Army Junta and dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq, playing into the hands of the USA. That gave birth to a small dissident group headed by Zahid Hussain liquidated soon and member of this faction later joined various pro soviet groups or took positions in establishment.
These splits and the state crack down on NSF helped NSF's arch rivals, the right-wing, Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba
Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba
Islami Jamiat Talaba is the male wing of an organization of students influenced mainly by the works of Late Syed Abul-Ala Maodudi. Its mission is to preach Islam to students of modern institutions throughout Pakistan. It has been attempting to increase the Islamic ideals of decency and glorifying...
(IJT), the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami
Jamaat-e-Islami
This article is about Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. For other organizations of similar name see Jamaat-e-Islami The Jamaat-e-Islami , is a Pro-Muslim political party in Pakistan...
, gain ground in the many student union elections held in the country's campuses in the 1970s and the 1980s. Till then the NSF had been sweeping student union elections in the 1950s and 1960s. NSF was also affected by the creation of the Pakistan Peoples Party's student wing, the Peoples Students Federation
Peoples Students Federation
Peoples Students Federation is a student federation and the student wing of the Pakistan Peoples Party founded by Shaheed Qamar Abbas in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa....
(PSF) whose main purpose was to counter the NSF opposition to PPP in the early 1970s.
When left leaning and progressive parties were persecuted and harassed by the right-wing dictatorship of President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s, dozens of NSF activists were arrested, tortured and expelled from the campuses. NSF joined alliance of progressive student parties that included DSF, PSF
PSF
PSF is a three-letter abbreviation or three-letter acronym that may stand for:* French Social Party * French Socialist Party * Palestinian Popular Struggle Front...
and many secular nationalist student groups like Baloch Students Federation in students' union elections across the country. NSF gained significant victories in students unions elections before they were banned by General Zia-ul-Huq in 1984. When students’ union elections were banned the NSF joined hands with all student organizations against this oppression and announced 100 days of protest on campuses. Islami Jamiat Talaba and NSF were the two biggest components of this alliance of students.
NSF suffered heavily from the trend of violence once pioneered by IJT
Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba
Islami Jamiat Talaba is the male wing of an organization of students influenced mainly by the works of Late Syed Abul-Ala Maodudi. Its mission is to preach Islam to students of modern institutions throughout Pakistan. It has been attempting to increase the Islamic ideals of decency and glorifying...
and later adopted by APMSO, and MSF which was intensified in the late 1980s and 1990s. Progressive students were banned from entering or holding their political activities on campuses. Subsequently major campuses have become no go areas for progressive students and NSF is now overshadowed by pro establishment and other regional groups like APMSO and PSF and by Islamic fundamentalist student parties such as IJT and Pakistan Muslim League
Pakistan Muslim League
The Pakistan Muslim League was founded in 1962, as a successor to the previously disbanded Muslim League in Pakistan. Unlike the original PML which ended in 1958 when General Ayub Khan banned all political parties, each subsequent Muslim League was in some way propped by the military dictators of...
's student wing, Muslim Students Federation (MSF).
NSF is not strong as it used to be however its reorganising and have active units in Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi, Sailkot and some other cites. It has taken part in Lawyers' Movement
Lawyers' Movement
The Lawyers' Movement was the name given to the popular mass protest movement started by the lawyers of Pakistan in response to the dictatorial actions of 9 March 2007, by the country's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, when he unconstitutionally sacked Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the Chief...
against the dictatorship of General Pervaiz Musharraf.
NSF is now regrouping and has recently seen activities associated with re-organisation taking along some of the old comrades as well as new ones.