Chinks appear, PU parties put off protest

Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 16

“Jail has not broken us; the movement is still strong and we will fight till the fee hike is rolled back,” said Panjab University students who were released from jail yesterday. However, the protest scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed as the parties could not reach a consensus.

The joint action committee (JAC), comprising all parties except the ABVP, had announced on April 13 that another protest would start from Monday. However, while addressing a press conference today, members of the Students for Society (SFS), the All India Students Union (AISA) and the Punjab Students Union (PSU- Lalkar) said the date of the next protest was yet to be decided.

The Student Organisation of India (SOI) said they were ready for the protest but they did not receive a positive response from other parties. The party was planning to personally visit the MHRD office on Tuesday and talk to officials about the fee hike issue, said Vicky Middukhera of SOI.

Barring the SFS, the PSU-Lalkar and AISA, the conference was not attended by other parties and when enquired, it was found that they were unaware of any such conference taking place today. The NSUI had withdrawn from the JAC after the previous meeting and is holding a separate protest on the issue now.

Students justify stone throwing, blame police

Students have claimed that they resorted to stone throwing in self-defence after the police started using force. They alleged that the police had already planned to use force on them and that was why they came armed with tear gas shells and other equipment. However, they said it had not hurt their morale and the movement would continue at all costs.

 SFS members said “witch-hunt” was on at the PU and the authorities needed to stop that. He said they had repeatedly demanded that police entry be banned on the campus. The students claimed that those who spoke against the authorities were being targeted as the list of students to be arrested was made within four hours. It was made keeping in mind the students whom the "authorities want to target".

Terming the "earn while you learn" scheme a farce, the students said it was just another way of creating a divide among the students. They said, "While jobs depend on the marks scored, poor students will have no time to study if they are to earn after attending classes. The students who do not take up jobs will have more time for studies and score better marks, ending up getting better jobs."