Dance students threaten strike

VADODARA, April 21: In what may turn out into yet another chapter of agitation at the Faculty of Performing Arts, M S University, a secti...

VADODARA, April 21: In what may turn out into yet another chapter of agitation at the Faculty of Performing Arts, M S University, a section of the students has threatened to launch an indefinite hunger strike from Thursday even as they continued their boycott of internal exams in protest against former dean Prof Parul Shah being an examiner.

Alleging that Shah had threatened to hamper the final exam results of all those students who had participated in an agitation last year which led to her ouster as the faculty dean, they claim she has been issuing the threats since the beginning of the current academic session. The finals begin from April 28.

Even an assurance by Vice-Chancellor Anil Kane to make special arrangements to videotape the dance exams to enable them to point out foul play has failed to convince the students. While they are adamant against Shah being the examiner, the university has decided to continue her.

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While they have alleged that Shah had rushed through her syllabus in just nine days, while dance items to be taught in three months were also completed in some days, Shah claims several students didn’t attend classes for most part of the year and so found the syllabus at the fag end when they actually came to the classes later.

On her threats, she asserts, “It is surprising for those students who are boycotting the exams haven’t been my students at all.” She says students shouldn’t start thinking their result would be partial without appearing for the exams.

A third year student, one of the 30 in the Dance Department, who were part of the agitation, maintains, “She has been telling us from the beginning of the year that she would ensure our exam results would be affected.” The students claimed that poor marking by even one of the examiners could affect the overall results. About not being Shah’s students, second year students say they are expressing solidarity with the third year and masters students.

The students also fear that if Shah is the examiner this year, she would be there for the next year too. And they apprehend she would assume the post of the head of the dance department again, for the post is vacant now following the resignation of P Baruah on health grounds.