Students unions in our country have gradually become bedrock of campus violence that have caused Klashinkov culture to fester in our universities. Instead of cultivating broadminded-ness and mutual tolerance of one another's viewpoint, they have bred seeds of hate and discord, which are the cause of many kinds of warfare in the country. This type of violence-ridden student unions are nowhere in vogue, certainly not in UK, USA, Europe or even in our neighbouring India. It is better to patronize other extra-curricular activities like sports, declamations, quizzes or spelling-bee contests instead of encouraging politics in the academia. -HUMAYUN AKHTAR, via e-mail, February 19.