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Rohtak’s Maharshi Dayanand University bans protests on campus
The authorities of Rohtak’s Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) have prohibited protests within 100m of residential areas on campus including vice-chancellor’s residence, university secretariat, examination wing, library, buildings comprising teaching blocks, two auditoriums, hostel premises and entries of gates of varsity
The authorities of Rohtak’s Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) have prohibited protests within 100m of residential areas on campus including vice-chancellor’s residence, university secretariat, examination wing, library, buildings comprising teaching blocks, two auditoriums, hostel premises and entries of gates of varsity.
In a circular issued by university registrar Gulshan Taneja on April 24, a 72-hour notice has to be given after exhausting all other normal channels (after availing all other remedies available) by such association/ organisation or groups of people.
“The controller security is required to submit a detailed report about protests to the registrar, at the earliest; and if required, the matter should be reported to the area station house officer (SHO) after due consultation with the registrar or the university administration,” the order stated.
BJP’s junior alliance partner in Haryana, Jannayak Janata Party’s (JJP) student body, Indian National Students’ Organisation (INSO) national chief Pradeep Deswal came down heavily over the varsity’s decision.
Deswal said the university has issued a ‘gag order’ and they will hold a demonstration outside the vice-chancellor’s office this week to challenge the order.
“If students cannot hold protests within 100m of key offices, where should they go to press for their demands? Should students go to the Red Fort or Jantar Mantar? We plan to hold state-wide protests against MDU V-C Rajbir Singh over his educational qualification,” he said.
“This order shows the desperation of the authorities. They cannot accept protests against their decisions. Our constitution has given us a right to protest and the varsity will have to abide by the same laws,” he added.
Condemning the varsity’s decision, Vikas Siwach, president of teaching association at MDU, said the Supreme Court had also stated that every person has a right to hold peaceful demonstrations for their demands.
“This is a tactic by the varsity officials to suppress the voice of students and teachers. Instead of solving the grievances, the authorities are adopting authoritarian methods,” Siwach said.
“We demand that students and teachers should have the right to hold protests outside the departments concerned and this order should be withdrawn immediately,” he added.
