PU student bodies’ protests lose steam,raise ‘agenda’ issues

Further,while the issue of recruitment of 380 faculty members in different departments is already being debated between the Panjab University Teachers’ Association and the PU management,two students have gone on hunger strike demanding immediate recruitment of teachers. Both these students are representatives of Hindustan Students’ Association (HSA).

Earlier this year,two representatives of National Student Union of India (NSUI) observed a hunger strike demanding relief for the latter in February. So much so,the two protesters had to be shifted to GMCH-32.

Interestingly,their strike started a week after the authorities had approved a specific budget for increasing the scholarships of the children belonging to economically weaker sections.

Speaking to Chandigarh Newsline,Dean Student Welfare (DSW) A S Ahluwalia said,“The students have grown smarter now. Keeping tabs on important decisions,these students plan their dharnas and try to draw credit for major developments.”

“Students’ protests in the university have failed to raise genuine issues relating to students in the last couple of years. The delay in results has become a common problem in various departments of the university in the last two years. However,the representatives of these outfits remain concerned only with their own results,” said a senior faculty member of the university.

In another similar instance,members of Students’ Federation of India (SFI),who demonstrated against the delay in semester examination results at the Department of Law two weeks ago,woke up to the delay when the results had already been prepared. The examinations were held in December. However,the students remained silent for over two months.

CHANDIGARH: High drama was witnessed at Panjab university on Friday when nearly 25 students blocked gate number 2,opposite Sector 15 market around 6 pm. The students representing various student organisations of the university held a protest,demanding immediate recruitment of faculty members in various departments of the university.

The students had blocked entry and exit from the gate and the road facing the gate for nearly one hour,causing inconvenience to public.

Later,eight students were taken to the police station in Sector 11. These students included Sandeep Bhura,Bhagwan,Kuldeep and Jagdeep,who had been sitting on hunger strike for the past five days,asking the authorities to fill up all the 380 posts which were advertised recently for recruitment of teachers.

“When we took them to the police station and counselled them,they agreed to call off the protest. They were later released,” said Inspector Gurmukh Singh,Station House Officer,Sector 11.