THE struggle for a students’ union at Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University in Wardha (Maharashtra) is gaining momentum. The students have been sitting on a dharna for 4 days now.
In 2017 when the students had held a dharna with the demand for a students’ union, the University had given them a verbal assurance and asked students for suggestions with regard to making the code of rules. Since half the session was already over, they said they would hold student elections in September 2018. But this year even after the students submitted an application regarding a union, the administration took no action. Students from the student organizations in the University—AISA, AISF, and others—came together under the banner of the Chhatra Sangharsh Morcha and have been sitting on a dharna since 7 September. Their demand is that as per the Lyngdoh Commission, the election of students’ unions to represent the needs of the students is mandatory in all educational institutions; but the University administration is disobeying this rule and is observing the tokenism of fulfilling the Lyngdoh Committee conditions by nominating 2 student representatives, which is totally unconstitutional. The protesting students say that until their demand for an elected students’ union is fulfilled, they will continue their protests through various forms of Satyagraha.
The students have cautioned that if the dates for the election are not announced, they will carry forward their agitation and boycott the Convocation ceremony scheduled for 15 October.
