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Journalism of Courage
WHAT began as an incidence of ragging at Pune’s Indian Law Society (ILS) in July has left the city polarised. About 24 of the 26 students expelled by the college are from outside Pune.
The students council has protested the ‘drastic’ action against the students. Suruchi Suri, president of the council, said they agreed that discipline had to be enforced on campus but the action was too harsh. Principal Vaijayanti Joshi thinks otherwise. ‘‘I need not wait till a suicide case is reported to me,’’ she says.
The expelled students got some respite when ILS chairman and former Chief Justice Justice Y V Chandrachud ordered a detailed probe into the incident by
a one-man enquiry commission.
A few of the students who were ragged meanwhile addressed a media briefing, urging the college not to withdraw its expulsion order. And they have public support. Pune residents maintain that students coming from outside the city are rich, arrogant and misuse their freedom and are insensitive to local customs and traditions.
There has been simmering resentment in Pune over the rising number of outstation students. The city with five deemed universities and several national level colleges is home to about 1.5 lakh students from outside. Residents increasingly are accusing them of spoiling the academic temperament of the city.
Vikas Mathkari, a BJP leader and lecturer of company law and business administration at Commerce college has been vociferous in demanding the expulsion of these 26 students. But he dismisses the allegation that out of town students are mischief makers. ‘‘Look at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics. Almost 95 per cent of their students are from other states but there is not a single incidence of ragging, protests or violence.
Meanwhile, Prof Satyaranjan Sathe, former principal of Law college and member of the society’s governing council, has called for a detailed inquiry rather than summary expulsion.
At present, the one-man commission is investigating the matter. The report will be submitted by this month’s end. Pune is closely watching what happens next.
