Seeking attention, student bodies resort to dharna politics on PU campus - Hindustan Times
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Seeking attention, student bodies resort to dharna politics on PU campus

Hindustan Times | By, Chandigarh
Aug 23, 2016 01:46 PM IST

Seeking attention of students, especially the new comers on the campus, the Panjab University (PU) student organisations are resorting to dharna politics.

Seeking attention of students, especially the new comers on the campus, the Panjab University (PU) student organisations are resorting to dharna politics.

Members of the Student Organisation of India protesting outside the UIET at Panjab University in Chandigarh on Monday.(Anil Dayal/HT Photo)
Members of the Student Organisation of India protesting outside the UIET at Panjab University in Chandigarh on Monday.(Anil Dayal/HT Photo)

With three different organisations — Student Organisation of India (SOI), National Students Union of India (NSUI) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP) — holding protests at the same place and same time, it is clear that the protests have nothing to do with the issues the leaders are raising. And it is just a ‘show of strength’.

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Sitting on the floor outside the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), three parties were seen screaming at full throttle.

NSUI members protesting outside the UIET at Panjab University in Chandigarh on Monday (Anil Dayal/HT Photo)
NSUI members protesting outside the UIET at Panjab University in Chandigarh on Monday (Anil Dayal/HT Photo)

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The department was buzzing with rhyming slogans like ‘Kyun pade ho chakkar mein, koi nahi hai takkar mein’, ‘Aaayi aayi NSUI aayi’ and ‘ABVP zindabad, PU authorities murdabad’.

While the SOI was highlighting the issues on the lack of basic facilities, including poor conditions of washrooms in UIET, the NSUI was demanding special chance in examination for UIET students. Meanwhile, the ABVP leaders were screaming, ‘Hamari maange poori karo (fulfil our demands)’.

Although all three bodies held protest at the same place, the SOI leaders claimed that they were the first ones to organise a protest.

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Piyush, SOI representative from UIET, said, “It was SOI that decided the venue for the protest a couple of days ago. Later, our plan was circulated following which NSUI occupied the venue half an hour before we reached, and then followed the ABVP team.”

To this the senior leader of NSUI, Manoj Lubana said, “We had planned a protest earlier also, and our demands are entirely different. We have been demanding a special chance for UIET students in exams. It was only in 2012 that special chance was given to students and the university has not declared a special chance for UIET as yet.”

Harmanjot Singh Gill, joint secretary, ABVP, Punjab, said, “We got to know that two parties are holding a protest together. So, we also joined them demanding fulfilment of our pending demands.”

UIET is battle ground for parties

It is believed that the parties deliberately planned their protests at the UIET, considering the fact that the engineering department has been a major vote bank since many years.

As per the sources, with over 2,500 votes, the UIET has been the main battle ground with most parties, including NSUI, PUSU and SOI, claiming that they get maximum votes from here.

In past three years, UIET has been topping the list with highest number of votes followed by the law department, University Institute of legal studies, chemical engineering department, physics and dental sciences departments.

Feedback campaign to prepare manifestos

The NSUI and ABVP started their feedback campaign from Monday, where the senior party leaders and supporters were seen getting feedback forms filled up from students on the campus.

Meanwhile, the ABVP leaders held a door-to-door feedback campaign.

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