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Chandigarh: Student polls remain low-key affair in women colleges
Students at all five major women colleges claim that there is even very less involvement of political parties in the polls as it remains in co-ed colleges
While student council elections bring excitement in co-ed colleges across the city, elections in women colleges remain a low-key affair. Candidates attribute this to the minimal interest shown by students and restrictions by parents and teachers.
Students at all five major women colleges claim that there is even very less involvement of political parties in the polls as it remains in co-ed colleges. Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) elections are slated for September 5, along with its affiliated colleges.
In Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Sector 26, elected student council unanimously. Blessy Chawla of MA economics is the new president. The other three posts were also filled as only single candidates filed nominations.
Similarly, at Mehr Chand Mahajan DAV College for Women, Sector 36-A, the president post remained unopposed and Nancy Somani, a Bcom third-year student, became the president by default. Meanwhile, there are four in the race for vice president, two for secretary and three for joint secretary posts.
In Dev Samaj College for Women, Sector 45, three candidates are contesting for president and vice-president posts. In Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector 11, four girls have filed nominations for the president’s post, four for vice-president, four for secretary and three for joint secretary.
Whereas in contrast to this in co-ed college, as many as 17 had filed nominations for president, 18 for vice-president, 12 for secretary and 17 for joint secretary at Post Graduate Government College, Sector 11. Only eligible nominations were accepted.
In another major and co-ed college DAV, Sector 10, 19 filed nominations for the president’s post and seven out of them got cancelled, 20 filed for vice-president and eight of them got rejected, 15 filed nominations for secretary and five got cancelled.
Astha, a BA third-year student, who is contesting for the president seat in Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector 11, said, “In women’s college, girls are not much interested in politics, but I want to tell them this is for student’s welfare. They keep on complaining about things but none is ready to come forward and fight for those issues.”
She added, “Secondly, the parents also don’t allow girls to get involved in these activities due to potential risks.”
The absence of political backing and non-interest of students not only dampens the spirit of the elections but also limits opportunities for students aspiring to leadership roles. Without the usual support from political groups, our campaigns are modest and less visible, noted another student.
Rajat Nain, national vice-president of India National Students Organisation, said, “The women wings of the parties are not active unless the women wings don’t reach girls in colleges and listen to their basic requirements, the situation is likely to remain unchanged.”
Kuldeep Singh Chaudhary, former president of PU from Hindustan Student Association, said, “Principals and teachers of women colleges don’t cooperate much. Teachers don’t allow them to come forward, they make a school-type environment for them. Secondly, there is a lack of interest in girls.”
Nisha Bhargava, principal of MCM DAV College, Sector 36, said, “We never intervene in student elections. I put all the essential information in students’ WhatsApp groups. I guess, there is a lack of awareness among students and voting also remains low here. We also don’t have any political affiliation; I am observing this tradition for quite a long time.”
