54 SOCIAL SCIENTIST Clarity of Objectives That the student movement of the country was clear as to its objectives is evident from the fact that the same conference gave a call to prepare the students f3r citizenship, in order to take their due share in the struggle for complete national freedom, by arousing their political, social and economic consciousness^6 Three months after the Lucknow con-' ferencc, the AISF was formally launched at the Lahore session presided over by Sarat Chandia Bose who unequivocally, called on the students ^to see that the activities of the intellectuals are linked up with those of the proletarian workers."4 It seems paradoxical at first sight that young people, who were at this period largely drawn from the privileged classes should welcome this orientation. But the secret of this phenomenon lies in the nature of the educational process itself, and the role it plays in society. Fundamentally, the task of education is to prepare fresh personnel to mee^ social need's and to replace those who drop out as a result of the ageing process. Even tribal societies living precariously by herdipg or shifting cult^ vation feel this need acutely and lespond to it with the institution of ^bachelors lodges^' where the youth of the §roup are regularly instructed in the art of agriculture, self-defence, and ritual practices and tribal lor^ which arc really a form of ^prt-hapd' civjc training. Such educational institutions are fairly widespread among trie tribes of Norrfl-EM< ludj^ such as the Garos, Nagas and Mi?os. Once the productive forces of society outstrip Ae aoop^ of old educational institutions, new ones take (bwi^c^-nbut not Necessarily peacefully or within the pre-exi&fiqg s^Qi^l fra^work and mstitUtiaxttI set-up. Many hollowed instimUws of today find ^beir wgim ^m th^ far humbler wolph of pppulap institutions out?id^ the hounds