Covid surge: Library closed, Panjab University students start indefinite strike

The protest comes a day after PU decided to close all the departmental libraries and the AC Joshi library till March 31 in the wake of the recent spike in Covid-19 cases

The students and research scholars at Panjab University (PU) started an indefinite strike on Wednesday demanding the reopening of the AC Joshi library.

Students assembled outside the AC Joshi library at Panjab University in Chandigarh on Wednesday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

Pressing for their demands, dozens of varsity students assembled outside the library on Wednesday morning, raised slogans against the administration and demanded immediate reopening of the library.

The protest comes a day after PU decided to close all the departmental libraries and the AC Joshi library till March 31 in the wake of the recent surge in the number of Covid-19 positive cases. The UT administration has already closed schools and colleges in the city till March 31.

The students have said that they will not call off their strike till the library is not opened. They also erected tents in front of the library.

The students in their statement said that the PU administration was trying to intimidate research scholars by pressuring their respective guides. “It has become the new normal: whenever students raise their democratic demands, PU authorities first call the police and scholars’ guides. We condemn this intimidating behaviour,” students said.

Later in the day, a meeting was also held between student representatives and varsity officials, but without any outcome. Mukul, a student who is also protesting, said, “We requested the varsity officials to accept our demand but they denied. We will continue our protest till our demand is not met.”