Student Politics and Nationalism: Youth Resistance in Colonial Universities (1920–1947)

Abstract

This research paper examines the role of student politics in shaping the growth of nationalism in colonial India between 1920 and 1947, with a particular focus on youth resistance within universities. It argues that colonial universities, though designed to serve imperial interests, gradually became important spaces of political awakening and anti-colonial mobilisation. Students emerged as active participants who not only supported nationalist movements but also transformed their nature by introducing new ideas, strategies, and forms of resistance. The study explores how student involvement in major movements such as Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience contributed to the expansion of nationalism from an elite political project into a mass-based struggle. It also highlights the ideological diversity within student politics, ranging from moderate and Gandhian approaches to radical and revolutionary perspectives, which enriched the overall nationalist discourse. By analysing the interaction between education, political consciousness, and activism, the paper shows how youth challenged colonial authority and redefined the purpose of education as a tool for national liberation. Furthermore, the study emphasizes that student resistance broadened the meaning of nationalism by linking it with issues of social justice, equality, and collective responsibility. The paper concludes that youth played a decisive role in transforming both the structure and ideology of the nationalist movement, making them key agents of historical change in colonial India.