A brewing storm
The color of clothes; has it ever made you wonder about the loyalty in a person?
Clearly not.
Meanwhile, if you look closely, these days most of IBA’s students are wearing either white or black. Two opposites on the spectrum of the color palette.
This is no coincidence. It’s a notorious indicator that IBA student elections are here, the black and white is not only fabric color. Through a more sinister lens, one can call it ‘The Great Divide’ between the student body.
Firstly, for those unaware of the history of IBA politics, a simple understanding is needed: A major split has existed between the hostelites and the day-scholars, since the earliest of IBA’s batches.
The polling centre at Aman was filled to the brim with eager voters (picture credits: Siraj Ahmed)
What is this divide?
So, to elaborate, the IBA politics centers around two groups : the IBA hostelites and the Day-scholars.
On a superficial level, both political groups are proclaimers of unity and equal opportunities for each other. But, these words have little material reality. There is a serious rivalry between the hostelites and day scholars, which is obvious even to those who do not try to observe it.
This rivalry is primarily due to the clash in personality, values and beliefs. Like the two colors worn popularly at campus, black is the opposite shade of white and cannot conform itself to become near to its hue.
I for one, have observed deep inculcated cultural values within my hostelite friends. As a day-scholar who has grown up in a non-traditional society, I find a contrasting difference between me and my hostelite friends. Additionally, I have observed an integrity within hostelites, especially to their culture and own selves which I have rarely found inside students raised in cities.
Hence, both parties can try to respect each other. But there can never exist a true understanding for an experience you never had.
Representatives of the hostelites party (picture credits: Siraj Ahmad)
Current situation of elections
The current situation of politics is an eerie replica of the political situation Pakistan in the recent past. An alliance has formed called the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) which consists of Junoon, Maalik (and formerly LPT who quit the alliance the night before elections). Apart from this, these political parties predominantly consist of day-scholars.
Furthermore, it must be noted that technically, the UDA is formed in order to increase day-scholars ratio to the ratio of hostelites. The candidates of the UDA standing in elections are strictly day scholars. But funnily, they believe in equality whether you are a hostelite or day-scholar.
Secondly, on the other end is the political party of the hostelites also known as One IBA. An anonymous source states that the reason why day-scholars form an alliance is due to the overwhelming unity and strength of the hostelites. However, they are still outnumbered by the them.
Plus, another source mentions how the hostelites have two claims. First, they do not get enough representation in IBA’s societies or student government. Second, they have enough political power that they can make a candidate win regardless of merit.
Therefore, due to this confidence, and show of power, the hostelites often face backlash for their influence. So, this fuels an already existing rivalry, creating more drama than healthy competition. Also, to add a friend, “The IBA politics is only taken serious by people who don’t have enough entertainment in their lives.”
For some students, voting is more than a quest for entertainment. It is a right that should be exercised (picture credits: Zobia Memon)
Currently, the administration decided a vote recount for the position of the Treasurer after the disqualification of the political candidate from OneIBA. The Treasurer is the most desired position in the student government since the budget is approved by them. Consequently, as per history, the Treasurer may or may not manipulate the budget according to their preference.
How serious should IBA elections be taken?
In the past few days I was approached by various political candidates to cast a vote in their favor. Moreover, I am sure this would have been the case for most of the students. But as a sophomore, I have realized the dark underbelly of IBA’s elections. It goes beyond ambitious manifestos and huge crowds of political parties displaying their “power shows.”
How a “power show” in elections looks like (picture credits: Siraj Ahmad)
Therefore, in my opinion, I only see the elections as black and white, literally and in metaphor. Since it causes more divide in students than unity, and the merit it encourages is at the expense of another’s.
Plus, when gathering data for this article, I came across a few stories from both political parties which cannot be written about. So, I do think that politics in IBA is like a show of theatre. Where different actors scale the stage of power and bathe in the spotlight of influence.
Finally, actual democracy is only sold through words, but really, is a dream.
