CPM District committee has taken a strong view of the ongoing exercise to snatch the democratic rights of the students in the name of curbing violence and improving academic environment on the campus. CPM alleged that the whole exercise to ban the students’ elections is three folds. One, the University is being run in an autocratic manner by the incumbent Vice-Chancellor. Onkar Shad state CPM leader stated that VC is implementing the agenda of saffronizng the University and giving out of place benefits to those who are close to him politically an ideologically. To keep all this going he is curbing the voice of the students in a dictatorial manner. Two, the University is hell bent on making the education costly by increasing the charges on all fronts including hostels, tuition fees, number of non-subsidized seats, etc., to deprive mass of people from getting subsidized and quality education.
CPM further alleged that VC has the motive to benefit the private players in higher education by making the education costly in the State University and creating level playing field for the private Universities. Three, the Vice-Chancellor and the BJP government both know that as there is a strong reflection of their respective regime in the University and the State as being corrupt, anti- people, anti-academic and anti-education and the SCA elections results will go anti-establishment hence these needs to be curbed.
For all the three factors listed above, students being a strong force to oppose the current policy regime both within the University and elsewhere their democratic rights are being curbed. Otherwise neither there is a law and order situation that warrants such an extreme step from the administration nor there problem on the academic front as far as the students’ community is concerned. For the last many years students of the University have excelled at all the level and even the all the components of the last NAAC report about University as far as the students are concerned scored marks more than required for the getting the ‘A’ grade. On the contrary it is the poor infrastructure and teaching and research facilities those are in appalling conditions and students often agitate to get the same improved. The University under the present regime has totally failed to improve students’ grievances rederessal system and to hide the administrative failure and lack of support from the State Government to the University they are painting the whole issue as that of law and order created over the years due to the SCA elections.
On the contrary, the unhealthy environment whatsoever is prevailing in the University is due to the inefficient administration led by present Vice-Chancellor. His anti-students’ attitude has been exposed many times earlier. He deliberately delayed the oath off the present SCA for ten months and now often boasts of the same. Earlier he ruthlessly ordered the closure of the hostels during the examination time and the students were brought on the roads. Since this person joined as Vice-Chancellor the work culture, ethos and democratic norms in University have nose-dived while corruption, financial and administrative irregularities are order of the day. To cover up his misdeeds and regimentalize the academic and administrative activities he has resorted to undemocratic activities so that his misdeeds and administrative misadventures are covered up.
District committee CPM demands that the Her Excellency Governor of Himachal Pradesh intervenes in the matter and orders the Vice-Chancellor to hold students bodies elections on the prevailing pattern and that to at an earlier date. Not holding elections to SCA will not only amount to the denial of democratic rights to thousands of students it will also be strong violation of the Lyngdoh Committee and Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and it will also inflict strong blow to the standing of the University on NAAC evaluation since elections to students bodies and grievances redressal system are important components of the same. It is also important that meanwhile the Vice-Chancellor should be immediately sent on long leave and inquiry initiated in various acts of administrative and financial irregularities committed during the last sixteen months of his regime.
