Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 6. April 4 1977

The Leaders and the Led

The Leaders and the Led

Dear Editor,

As an overseas student, I cannot but express my disenchantment of the voting trend at the recent SRC election of an Overseas Officer. It is not difficult to see that overseas students here in the campus are a minority, and can be easily out-voted by their New Zealand counterparts anytime. In most matters or motions, that is perfectly legitimate and certainly right. But where the interests of overseas students are concerned, as in the election of an Overseas Officer it is highly questionable whether New Zealand students are adequately qualified to assess an overseas student candidate, especially in relation to the feelings, and opinion of overseas students.

Surely the New Zealand students' one-sided voting for the Fijian Indian, as versus the minority vote of overseas students for the other candidate, indicates a situation no less than one of the 'tyranny of the majority'. As J.S. Mill puts it:—

"When society is the tyrant—society collectively over the separate individuals who compose it. . . it practises a social tyranny more formidable than many kinds of political oppression . . There needs a protection against the tyranny of prevailing opinion and feeling, against the tendency of society to impose its own ideas and practices as rules of conduct on those who dissent from them.. . . and to compel all characters to fashion themselves on the model of its own."

This quote, expresses, I believe, for most of the overseas students, their position here both socially, and to lesser extent politically.

Too often in the past have I witnessed VUWSA giving support to certain select overseas students, to join their elitist clique, merely because these students are, aside from Robert Pui, socially entertaining and articulate on the public stage. We have seen too many of such characters in our home country, and I dare say we are getting extremely tired of them. Such kind of people are generally socially a class, away from the majority of the people. How much have these VUWSA pakeha supported overseas student 'leaders' tried to associate with the bulk of the ordinary overseas students? (How well do they know their views, interests, and priorities?) On the contrary however, they view with condescension their fellow overseas students, and prefer to promote their own personal ego and social life amongst the pakeha students, at the expense of fellow overseas students. Of course, a racial trend can be observed, but it would not be a fair statement, in view of the individuals who are just not like that.

So it is with great distaste to hear overseas student 'leaders' malign overseas students as generally socially and politically apathetic. Overseas students are not apathetic. They do not follow blindly like sheep, the callings of a 'leader' of doubted qualities. They question like anyone else, the character of that person, his motives, his sincerity, his dedication, his beliefs, his social associations etc. Social apathy? No, and certainly not instruments of such 'politicized' people.

This act of VUWSA giving support to individuals who happened to be more attuned to their values and beliefs, in my opinion, serves only as a symbolic lack of genuine concern for overseas students' interests. People elected or appointed as representatives of overseas students, should come from the 'grass-roots' of the population; people who have been accepted by their own people as worth to look after their interests; Sometimes, I think VUWSA or NZUSA are just a bunch of hypocrites. Perhaps that is a bit strong, but how can it be helped if they keep on sanctimoniously praising China, Vietnam, the Thai, Singaporean and Malaysian Student Movements many miles away while they cannot even relate to the opinions of overseas students right here in the campus. Maybe 'gooks' are less capable of formulating their own views or knowing what is good for themselves. In any case, VUWSA may perhaps like to undertake some symbolic act to reassure us this is not so.

As an overseas student, I look with interest to the activities of our new Overseas Officer, James Movick. Like any other person, I would like to extend my congratulations to him. However, that is not to say that he will be approved to do things anyway he desires. Rest assured there will be criticisms if he exhibits any indication that he is in the office for reasons no other than his own personal interests, ego etc., while maintaining the facade of representing overseas students. Certainly, I am going to demand more than mere public appearances, speeches and exhortation for the $50 honararium he receives.

Sincerely,

An ordinary, average overseas student.