Student from West Asia troubled over deferred GNDU convocation

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 18

A foreign student has been vying to get her master’s degree in religious studies which she completed with distinction as a regular student in 2017. Courtesy goes to the ‘non-flexible’ attitude of the Guru Nanak Dev University authorities, she says.

Shiva from West Asia was excited on receiving invitation for the 44th convocation scheduled for February 19. Accordingly, she got her visa formalities done well in advance. She reached here two days earlier. Meanwhile, the GNDU postponed its convocation for an indefinite period.

According to the GNDU rules, if anyone wishes to get his/her degree before convocation, an amount of Rs 2,500 is to be paid and the degree in absentia after the convocation costs just Rs 100.

Since February 17, she has been putting up at a guest house in Amritsar with a hope that the GNDU authorities may show some mercy on her situation. While her visa validation is going to expire, she is worried to go back empty handed.

“I had spent a lot of money on procuring visa and tickets. I am stuck here. All the money I brought with me has been spent on my living expenses. Now, the GNDU authorities have asked me to deposit Rs 2,500 which I don’t have. It is ridiculous to see the insensitive attitude of the GNDU authorities towards a foreign student. My hopes from a university, named after Guru Nanak Dev, are shattered. I will never recommend any foreigner to join it for studies,” she said.

While showing the provisional certificates and transcript copies of her mark sheet, she said, “I was the only girl student from a foreign country in a class of 11 boys hailing from different parts of Punjab. Despite the scarcity of religious study literature in English language, I scored Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 9.21 out of 10 grade points, securing me a gold medal. Yet, the non-cooperative attitude of GNDU authorities dejected me a lot,” she told.

Meanwhile, a good samaritan, Surinder Singh, who is also the president of Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association, offered to accommodate her in his guest house for free.

GNDU Vice Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu assured that she would be accommodated on priority. “I will take the matter with the Registrar to discover how best we can help her out within the purview of rules and regulations,” he said.

Shiva came to Amritsar in 2009 as a tourist for the first time. She paid a visit to the Golden Temple and was so mesmerised by the mystic ambience of the shrine that she decided to learn about Sikhism.

“After that I came to Amritsar often. Though I never understood Punjabi but the kirtan at the Golden Temple always fascinated my heart and mind. Primarily, I started learning the teachings of Gurbani through literature that was available in English and was so captivated that I decided to do masters in religious studies,” she said.

Later, Shiva qualified for a scholarship programme of Indian Council for Cultural Relations for postgraduate degree and took admission in the Department of Guru Nanak Studies at GNDU, Amritsar, in 2015.

During her course of study, she learnt thoroughly the religious movements of Punjab during the 19th and 20th century, Singh Sabha literature, Sufism, Dasam Granth and Budhism, as part of her curriculum. She claims to have authored Persian translation of three major ‘Banis’ of Guru Granth Sahib — Japji Sahib, Sukhmani Sahib and Bhagat Bani of 15 bhagats.

The issue

• Shiva, a student from West Asia, completed master’s degree in religious studies from Guru Nanak Dev University last year. 
• She received an invitation from the university to get her degree at its convocation slated for February 19. 
• She turned up in the city but only to know that the convocation had been postponed for an indefinite period.
• She has stuck here since then and run almost out of money.
• She has been offered a free accommodation by the president of the Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association.