Protesting Rajiv Gandhi Law University Students boycott exams, wants justice
KS Diwan/ royalpatiala.in/ Chandigarh
“Students protesting at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law in Patiala, Punjab, have boycotted the mid-semester examinations, scheduled to start at 3 pm today in protest against the suspension of six students on Friday. “said a first-year student. Students further informed that only the fifth-year students have appeared for the exams, which began on Monday, while students from other batches continue to protest, which now enters Day 4.
The protests by students started last Friday over the suspension of six hostlers. After a talks with Vice-Chancellor of the university Dr Paramjit Jaswal failed yesterday, it was decided that the students, except those in their final year, would boycott today’s exams. The students also collected their ID cards to mark their decision to boycott the mid-semester exams due to begin this afternoon.
Later the University has issued a notification this afternoon informing students that they would be permitted to write the examinations even if they do not have their ID card, despite earlier University instructions that students must necessarily carry their ID cards in order to write their exams.
RGNUL students to approach the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) for intervention and a probe into the alleged human rights violations at RGNUL.
The Rapid Action Force of the Central Reserve Police Force was posted on campus on Monday, although students insist the demonstration is entirely peaceful. As per internal sources there are around 250-300 police officers present in and around the campus. Students are wary that their presence may be used to escalate violence and turn the case against the student protestors. So the students have opted to carry on with the peaceful protests.
Students were accused of destroying university property by banging their steel plates and suspended, allegedly without any hearing. The six were not barred from taking the mid-semester examinations but they would have had to stay outside the campus in Patiala city.
Students have also been protesting against the different curfew timings for male and female students – women have to report to their hostel rooms by 9 pm whereas men can stay out till 1 am. They have also sought action against an administrative officer whom they accuse of harassment and sexism.
The university authorities capitulated to most of the students demands including “revoking the suspension of the six students”, sending the administrative officer on leave “with immediate effect”, and that a committee was being constituted by the university’s Chancellor Krishna Murari to examine the matter of curfew timings and recommend changes. The chancellor is the chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
However, students are not satisfied with the administration’s response. Students fear that the administration may suspend them or impose fines as soon as the protest ends.
The protests carried on late into the night yesterday. At the end of the day, the students chose to sleep in the streets for a third time as part of their continuing protests. A student statement made yesterday said,
