Muslim student organizations under the patronage of Wahid's National Awakening Party rally behind the president while others linked to his opponents campaign for him to go. The students are not as independent as they say. And each time they side with various politicians, the student movement further divides. It may still be used as a force for change, but no longer appears to be a force for reform. For many activists, the idea of a pure student movement was always a myth.
Some critics condemn the student movement as merely a training ground for budding politicians.
That was not what Jimmy had in mind when he and thousands of other students occupied parliament in the so-called May Revolution of 1998. But other students feared the poor would trigger more riots and vetoed the proposal. As the two partners now reminisce about what they might have achieved, their sense of regret is palpable. Some student groups say they still believe that they do represent a moral force for reform. One of the first major student groups established in the heady early months of 1998, the trailblazing Forkot, or City Forum, movement says that being a moral force is its mantra.