FAILURE OF Allahabad University (AU) officials in curbing the incidents of on-campus violence and lack of any evident effort to take charge of the fast deteriorating varsity environment has left the people of Allahabad aghast. Many have now even started to criticise AU top bosses for not taking adequate steps to handle the situation.
"It is really unfortunate that despite repeated incidents of violence and eve-teasing on the campus, the varsity administration has failed to take remedial steps. Facts do not cease to exist if you ignore them," says Narbada Prasad, eminent educationist and former principal of KP Training College. He said the "ostrich like behaviour" of top AU official has further worsened the situation.
"He must take immediate action to restore academic atmosphere in the university which is conspicuous by its absence today," added the AU alumnus.
Shocked over the recent spurt in the incidents of violence on AU campus, the former head of the AU Economics Department Prof Vinod Anand said that classes should regularly be taken by the varsity teachers to ensure that the students remain busy with the academics and AU officials need to sit together and come up with some concrete steps to improve things.
"Steps like thorough check at entry points in the varsity to ensure that no one with firearms or other weapon enters the university premises and checking of identity-cards should be made mandatory. Moreover, perhaps the time has now come for a stronger man to take over the AU security," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"Steps like thorough check at entry points in the varsity to ensure that no one with firearms or other weapon enters the university premises and checking of identity-cards should be made mandatory. Moreover, perhaps the time has now come for a stronger man to take over the AU security," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Senior lawyer Rehman Ali, who is also an AU alumnus, said, "The AU administration has totally failed to control the situation. It has isolated itself from the students community and has refused to face the reality staring on its face."
He said that "the new VC is living in splendid isolation and as such seems unable to tackle the situation which is deteriorating with every passing day. "Harsh measures need to be taken to put the AU back on rails and the VC should take charge," he added.