ABVP gheraos MSU V-C over delayed marksheets

The student protest began Thursday morning with ABVP pasting posters that read ‘Missing Vice-Chancellor’ with Srivastava’s photograph. After clashing with the security personnel, as the V-C arrived at the head office for the post-lunch syndicate meeting, ABVP members gheraoed him, seeking the immediate distribution of the marksheets or alternatively, a refund of Rs 500 collected from the students of the previous academic year.

Before cornering Srivastava, the ABVP activists also vandalised the office of the vigilance team of MSU. While two members of the student union were injured in the clash with security personnel and rushed to the hospital, officials of the Sayajigunj police station said the university was yet to lodge a complaint in the matter.

The student union members, who were on a sit-in protest chanting slogans at the head office, said they had made multiple representations seeking marksheets of over 30,000 students. After being cornered for over 15 minutes, the V-C, with the help of the security that had formed a chain around him, managed to wade through hundreds of protestors.

Srivastava termed the “aggressive cornering” a “dishonour of democratic freedom”. “This is not discipline… No democracy allows such behaviour or violation of rules. If there are demands and representations, they can come and hand it over to us. Everyone knows we have already accepted their representations. But even after we receive a memorandum, it takes time to resolve issues… There is a committee that is working on it (delayed marksheets). Convocation is held with proper planning and we had announced the date on March 2,” the V-C told reporters.

The ABVP, in its last memorandum submitted this week, had set an “ultimatum” of 48 hours for MSU to release the marksheet or to refund the money collected towards the “sash, folder and marksheet of the students last year”. The ABVP had also alleged that MSU was yet to officially declare the date of the convocation that is scheduled for March 18.

The simultaneous silent protest by teachers and Deans of various faculties of MSU tried to draw the attention of the syndicate members who were arriving for an important meeting Thursday. Led by the former registrar of MSU, Amit Dholakia, the teachers carried placards demanding the immediate release of the “second installment of the 7th pay arrears” and implementation of CAS.

“No process has been completed for CAS in the past four years. It has not only impacted the financial growth of the Principals and Deans but also their career growth, promotions and so on… We are giving the university three months to implement the same,” said Dholakia.

Srivastava did not respond to calls and text messages seeking a response on the issue.