Big varsities like DU need indirect polls for student union: Lyngdoh

“We had recommended indirect elections to large campuses like Delhi University so that influence of money and political parties could be kept out. Direct elections are possible only for small,restricted campuses like JNU.”

Asked about disqualification of candidates,Lyngdoh said,“Why do you think political parties have not approached the courts? Do you think they are ignorant? They want to keep it in the mud — they do not want change.”

Submitted in May 2006,the Lyngdoh Committee report had said that the direct election model followed in Delhi University is “plagued with an overflow of unnecessary funds”. It had recommended three models of indirect elections for universities with “large,widespread campuses and large student bodies”.

This,the committee said,is different from the direct election model suggested for “smaller universities with well-defined single campuses and a relatively smaller students’ population”.

Lyngdoh defended the recommendations and said they did not belittle the role of students’ unions. “The committee understood the importance of student unions while framing the report,and it is visible in the document,” he said. “Student unions cannot be mere cultural bodies — when students are sexually harassed in colleges,when colleges charge exorbitant capitation fees,students’ unions are where they go.”

About the ban on elections to the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU),a direct consequence of the Lyngdoh committee’s report,the former CEC said,“I really have no idea why they have opposed it but I understand some party has come forward in support of the recommendations.”

Lyngdoh was referring to withdrawal of NSUI from the Joint Struggle Committee that is fighting the ban in court.

The Lyngdoh report had praised the JNU system of elections but had warned that such a system carries a “major drawback,as this form of election is suitable only for small universities of the single campus type”.

Commenting on the fact that the major issues in JNU were age limit and the restriction on even one-time candidates from contesting again,he said,“Maybe that can be subjected to fine-tuning.”

Given a chance to do the exercise all over again,he said,“There would be really no difference. It is the implementation that counts.”