Student Politics in British India and Beyond: The Rise and Fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950

This article will examine the rise and fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950. The AISF initially represented a successful attempt at consolidating the existing student organizations in colonial India and a dramatic indication of student power at the national level. This...

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Main Author: Tom Wilkinson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centre d’Etudes de l’Inde et de l’Asie du Sud 2019-12-01
Series:South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/6488
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author Tom Wilkinson
author_facet Tom Wilkinson
author_sort Tom Wilkinson
collection DOAJ
description This article will examine the rise and fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950. The AISF initially represented a successful attempt at consolidating the existing student organizations in colonial India and a dramatic indication of student power at the national level. This student movement became an arena for the negotiation of political and religious youth identities during the final decade of the British Raj. Indian students and their student leaders responded to wider political change, especially the power configuration of political parties, with a search for distinct political spaces for youth. The struggle for control and secessions from the organization, however, brought about its fragmentation. During WWII, student and adult political leaders competed to mobilize the splintered student movements for the purposes of civil defense, social service and for the Quit India movement. I will also argue these AISF groups became the convergence point for the colonial and early-post colonial state’s coercive network.
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spelling doaj-art-2cf0111b44af4a5d886586077b8ddb132025-08-20T01:55:21ZengCentre d’Etudes de l’Inde et de l’Asie du SudSouth Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal1960-60602019-12-012210.4000/samaj.6488Student Politics in British India and Beyond: The Rise and Fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950Tom WilkinsonThis article will examine the rise and fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950. The AISF initially represented a successful attempt at consolidating the existing student organizations in colonial India and a dramatic indication of student power at the national level. This student movement became an arena for the negotiation of political and religious youth identities during the final decade of the British Raj. Indian students and their student leaders responded to wider political change, especially the power configuration of political parties, with a search for distinct political spaces for youth. The struggle for control and secessions from the organization, however, brought about its fragmentation. During WWII, student and adult political leaders competed to mobilize the splintered student movements for the purposes of civil defense, social service and for the Quit India movement. I will also argue these AISF groups became the convergence point for the colonial and early-post colonial state’s coercive network.https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/6488Indian student politicsyouth identitystudent mobilizationstate-student interactionSecond World War
spellingShingle Tom Wilkinson
Student Politics in British India and Beyond: The Rise and Fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950
South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal
Indian student politics
youth identity
student mobilization
state-student interaction
Second World War
title Student Politics in British India and Beyond: The Rise and Fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950
title_full Student Politics in British India and Beyond: The Rise and Fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950
title_fullStr Student Politics in British India and Beyond: The Rise and Fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950
title_full_unstemmed Student Politics in British India and Beyond: The Rise and Fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950
title_short Student Politics in British India and Beyond: The Rise and Fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950
title_sort student politics in british india and beyond the rise and fragmentation of the all india student federation aisf 1936 1950
topic Indian student politics
youth identity
student mobilization
state-student interaction
Second World War
url https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/6488
work_keys_str_mv AT tomwilkinson studentpoliticsinbritishindiaandbeyondtheriseandfragmentationoftheallindiastudentfederationaisf19361950