Tractors, chulhas, & langar: PU protest take leaf out of farmers’ playbook

The students are staging protests to demand the official announcement of the pending Senate elections, and say that they will continue the agitation, calling for a PU Bandh until the schedule is released.

There was heavy police deployment both on campus and near the gates of PU, with several students accusing the personnel of denying them entry to the campus despite valid identity cards and termed the move as “undemocratic”.
Earlier in the day, the barricade of Gate Number 1 was broken by students, who scaled university gates, and clashed with police personnel, and students shouted, ‘Go Back Chandigarh Police’. Several checkpoints and barricades were set up on campus and roads around PU, with buses also deployed here.

‘Don’t sell PU’

Darshan Singh, here with 28 farmers from Barnala since 10 am, said they were here to support students. “We want to say, don’t sell this University, don’t make it a place where only the rich can get an education,” the farmer said.
Armaan, who is doing M.Sc from DAV College Chandigarh, said that his parents also studied here, and there is a “deep connection” with PU. “Voices are being suppressed, and as students we must have a wider representation. Why are we being oppressed by both the authorities and the government,” he asked.

As per a senior member of the Students’ Council, the campus witnessed more than 8,000 protesters on Monday from across Punjab, with banners, loudspeakers, generators, and tents in place to continue the protest until Senate elections are held.

Jasleen Kaur, a student of engineering, who has been sitting here 10 am says the protest is to also draw the attention of the authorities for a dire need of democracy on campus, and the Senate elections are a step forward to ensure checks, balances and equal rights.

Several leads like Dr Amar Singh, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Partap Singh Bajwa, Dalvir Singh Goldy also visited the dharna.

Davi, a former student and former journalist, said slowly and steadily, things are slipping away, and in the process, the standard of education and academics are suffering. “While we are happy that people of all walks of life have joined the protest, and are supporting the students, the sentiment of religion must not be used here,” Davi added.

Navjot, who is doing B.Ed from a college affiliate to PU in Bhatinda, says she is here to show her solidarity, and also because she feels very strongly for PU. “We have to study logic, analysis, science to grow. If there is a Senate, we will have a syllabus that is in sync with the times, else we will have to eat what they give us.

Close by, chulhas have been burning since 6 am, with a PU scholar from Mohali and some students making sure that there is an uninterrupted flow of hot tea for the protesters.

“Water, milk, biscuits, tea leaves, we are not falling short of anything, as farmers, former professors, and students are getting all this and more,” he shared.

A van from the gurdwara in Phase 8, Mohali is serving hot dal and rotis, with police personnel also urged to share a bite. “They are following orders, we have to serve everyone,” said Avtar, one of the servers.

Posters of “Save PU, Save Senate” were everywhere, with a leader of a labour organisation from Ludhiana sharing how PU is an example of a democratic institution, and how the Centre is slowly destroying its essence.

Mandeep Punja, a former student, recalled how many years back, a fee hike was rolled back because the students had the support of the Senate. “We have tasted the power of the Senate and Syndicate, and internal democracy. This protest has the support of artists, academicians, former PU professors, thinkers, and the public,” he added.

Amarjeet Singh, a leader from BKU, added that he salutes the students and unions who have stood strong. “So many of us had given land for this university, and we cannot see it destroyed by the agendas of the RSS, that is slowly destroying our culture and institutions,” he said.
The protest, a student smiles, has just started.