PUTA condemns police action against students in letter to VC as protests persist

Protests for seeking replacement of girls’ hostel number 4 warden, issuance of detailed mark sheets — both by separate student bodies — at PU persisted on Thursday, a day after police action against students

Protests for seeking replacement of girls’ hostel number 4 warden as well as issuance of detailed mark sheets — both by separate student bodies — at Panjab University (PU) campus persisted on Thursday, a day after a few students were detained by police following a face-off between the two student bodies.

PUTA condemned police action against students in letter to VC as protests persist. (Ravi Kumar/ HT)

Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA), meanwhile, wrote to vice-chancellor (V-C) Raj Kumar to express its shock over the police action against the students on the university campus. The teachers’ body dubbed the use of force to suppress the voice of students, major stakeholders of the varsity, instead of using dialogue and negotiation, “extremely unfortunate”.

“Needless to say, such acts are bound to damage the age-old legacy of this great institution, of which all of us are proud,” PUTA wrote to the V-C.

A group of PU research scholars also condemned the entry as well as the high-handedness of the police force with the protesting students on Wednesday.

A meeting of research scholars from various departments held on Thursday took notice of the disturbing visuals from Wednesday’s protests, wherein the police officials were seen dragging by their hair. “This use of force is not only inappropriate, but also illegal,” the research scholars said.

Around 12 protesting students had been taken into preventive detention by the police on Wednesday after a face-off between two student bodies, while an FIR was also registered against a few students for blocking the entrance of the dean student welfare (DSW) office.

Students undeterred

Speaking of the protest to seek a replacement for the girls’ hostel number 4 warden, Punjab Students Union’s (PSU-Lalkaar) Aman said, “We have given the university two days to resolve the matter. The hostel residents appeared before the committee on Wednesday and staff appeared before the committee as well and we expect the university authorities to act by Friday.”

Members of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), protesting since August 6, also continued their sit-in protest outside the V-C office over the non-issuance of detailed mark sheets and degrees to schedule caste students covered under the post-matric scholarship (PMS) scheme.

ASA, in its statement, said, “No official communication has been given by the PU authority to us so far and we will continue to protest till our demand is met.”

Meanwhile, dean student welfare (DSW) Jagtar Singh said a committee interacted with the complainants, around 25-30 residents as well as the staff of girls’ hostel no 4, adding, “They will also study the various compliants and deliberate on the issue. The authorities are continously in dialogue with the students to resolve their issues in an ammicable manner.

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Relief for BCom students

PU on Thursday also announced a provision of granting 10 marks, as grace, for all the students who have appeared in the exam of operational research paper. BCom students were demanding that their issue be resolved, after hundreds of them flunked the exam — which they blamed on a change in paper pattern.