students and democratic struggles

The author of the article, (THE HINDU)“students in the van guard of democratic struggle” Prabha t  Patnaik  (7.1.20) is right is stating that, students who are socially sensitive and who are committed to the values of secularism and democracy are powerful bulwark against Hindutva projects , because , they bring with them the energy of youth and the  enlightenment of education . We have given voting rights to the youth from the age of eighteen,  yet ,we do not want them to have  their own  political ideology  and express solidarity and support  to their informed political choices. We want them to  develop   critical thinking power and sharpen it through the tool of questioning , so that they invent and innovate, but we do not want them to cross this boundary by questioning  their university administrators when  they indulge in mal practices and curtail  their basic academic freedom. We want them to grow as responsible citizens , yet, we attack them physically when  they fight for social issues , arrest them and penalise them in different ways to kill their independent spirit . But the courage and conviction with which the targeted students fight for their democratic and personal rights give  hope about  future India