E-Paper
IIT-BHU incident follow-up: Students protest decision to build boundary on BHU campus
Students of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) protested against the construction of a boundary wall in IIT-BHU, stating that it would divide the campus. The students demanded that the decision be withdrawn and suggested other measures to enhance security on the campus. Former faculty member Prof Kaushal Kishore Mishra supported the students' demand.
A large number of students of Banaras Hindu University boycotted classes and took out a march in protest against the decision to build a boundary wall in IIT-BHU, on Saturday.
They said that it would divide the BHU campus, and the decision should be withdrawn.
The entire campus of Banaras Hindu University is surrounded by a boundary wall of 10 feet. The IIT-BHU campus is inside it. In the name of enhancing security, construction of a boundary wall for the IIT-BHU will divide the campus, said the students, and added that there are around 95 hostels in BHU and IIT-BHU together. Around 20,000 students live in them. Security of each student is important, so the university and IIT-BHU administration should focus on enhancing the security of the entire campus.
After the incident of molestation in the campus late on Wednesday, IIT-BHU administration informed the students that a boundary wall will be constructed for the institute campus for augmenting the safety of the campus. At the same time, CCTV cameras will be installed at all sensitive locations, including the girls’ hostels on the campus at the earliest, the IIT-BHU administration said in a statement addressed to students.
As the students came to know about the decision on Friday, a large number students of various departments, BHU, boycotted the classes and took out a protest march against the decision.
Patanjali, a research scholar at BHU, said that the university and IIT-BHU administration together should take other measures to strengthen the security arrangements on the campus.
Mrityunjay Tiwari Azad, student leader, said that the decision to divide the campus was not in the interest of the BHU. Officials of the university and IIT-BHU should clarify why they wanted to divide the campus.
Former dean of the faculty of social sciences, BHU, Prof Kaushal Kishore Mishra echoed the sentiments of the students. “The division of the university campus is not acceptable. I fully support the demand of the students,” said Prof Mishra.
