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PU student council polls: Tension in the air at DAV College amid four squabbles in past week
A spat between members of various student bodies was reported from DAV College in Sector 10 during filing of nominations for the Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) elections on Wednesday
A spat between members of various student bodies was reported from DAV College in Sector 10 during filing of nominations for the Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) elections on Wednesday. Four such altercations have been reported in the past week, leaving students not associated to politics worried about the safety situation on campus.
On Wednesday, some students had started sloganeering outside the college principal’s building to celebrate filing of nominations, and police had to intervene and maintain order. While police claim no one was detained, some student leaders said that at least 7-8 students had been taken to the police station.
During filing of nominations, students, including hostellers, were not allowed inside the campus till 2 pm. Mansi Gahlyan and Bhavya Gupta, who are pursuing MA in economics, said, “We want to feel safe on campus. There is tension in the air these days, which makes us feel like a violent situation may arise on campus, leading to an untoward situation.”
Because of the elections, classes will also stay irregular as per Prince, a BA student. “Most classes in the coming week will not be held as teachers will be on election duty,” he said.
Himanshi, a student of MA English, said the ban on outsiders entering campus is being strictly enforced by the college.
Speaking about reports of violence at the college, principal Pawan Sharma, said, “Amid spats and brawls between members of student bodies, the college has hired four bouncers to maintain decorum and outsider entry is not allowed. However, it is seems that around 50-100 students have taken admission at the college only to participate in the elections.”
The admission of around five students has been cancelled for violence and four have been suspended, said Sharma.
Speaking about possible reasons behind violence on campus, Sharma said DAV is one of the biggest colleges in the region and political parties of Punjab and Haryana take a keen interest in these elections, which lead to disputes that may turn physical.
Student leaders also gave a similar explanation for this. Former PU student council president Ashish Nehra explained that while tempers are running high during elections, even minor infractions can spark off a violent incident.
Student politics was also one of the main reasons behind the murder of Vishal Chillar, a 23-year-old former student leader of DAV College, who was shot dead in Sector 49 in 2019. Seven people, who were also involved in student politics at DAV, had been arrested.
