Protest turns ugly, JU students go on rampage

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 22

Tension prevailed in the University of Jammu (JU) on Thursday after the students of different departments turned violent and ransacked the Vice Chancellor’s secretariat and the office of the Dean Students Welfare (DSW) against the alleged thrashing of a fellow by the latter on the campus.

DSW Prof Satnam Kour, however, said she was allegedly “manhandled and pushed” by the students, who also made an attempt to “strangulate” her. She said she thrashed the student in “self-defence”.

The university has decided to lodge an FIR against the students who ransacked the office of the DSW and the VC Secretariat, and damaged the property of the university. The police, however, said they were yet to receive a complaint from the university.

According to the security personnel of the university, some students had given a call for a strike on the campus in support of their demand for Wi-Fi facility and quality food inside hostels, action against the IGP (Traffic), J&K, for entering the campus without any permission and issuing challans to the students.

“In the morning, some students locked the main gates of the campus, restricting the movement of visitors and faculty members. Later, they also locked the rear gate of the campus,” a security guard said, adding: “We called the DSW and apprised her of the situation. We started getting calls from faculty members, who asked us to open the gates”.

The DSW rushed to the main gates and broke open the chains. “She had arguments with the protesting students but the traffic was restored through main gates. She then went to the rear gate and asked the students to open it. As she was trying to open the gate, some students entered into heated arguments, which took an ugly turn,” the guard added.

In the melee, the DSW was allegedly “pushed and manhandled” by a student. Following which she took the stick of the security guard and thrashed the student with it. The incident enraged the other students who went on rampage and ransacked the office of the DSW and the VC secretariat. They smashed the windowpanes and damaged the official property.

They raised slogans against the university administration and the DSW, demanding her removal from the post. They also sought the registration of an FIR against the DSW. Soon senior police officers rushed to the campus and tried to control the situation.

“I was abused, pushed and manhandled by the student. Whatever I did it was in self-defence. The students even tried to strangulate me. Don’t I have the right to act in self-defence? It was unprecedented that students tried to strangulate me. Nobody will tolerate this kind of ‘goondaism’. I have also decided to approach the women commission,” the DSW told The Tribune.

However, students alleged that they were holding a peaceful protest, but the DSW provoked them to act like this. “It is our democratic right to demonstrate against the shortcomings in the system, but the DSW badly hit one of our fellow students for no fault of his. There should be an FIR against her as well,” they alleged.

University VC Prof RD Sharma, who was not on the campus when incident took place, visited the DSW office and assessed the loss to the official property. Later, he chaired a meeting of the senior officials of the university and presidents of different organisations of employees.

FIR to be lodged 

"The university has decided to lodge an FIR against the identified students while four of them have been suspended for creating indiscipline and damaging official property. Some outsiders, who are unhappy with the JU’s recent achievements, are instigating the students and misusing them for their personal interests. A committee has been constituted to look into the matter." — Prof RD Sharma, Jammu University Vice Chancellor

Students want DSW booked

"We were holding a peaceful protest, but the Dean Students Welfare provoked us to act like this. It is our democratic right to demonstrate against the shortcomings in the system, but the Dean badly hit one of the protesters for no fault of his. There should be an FIR against her as well." —  Protesting students ‘Acted in self-defence’

"I was abused, pushed and manhandled by the student. Whatever I did it was in self-defence. The students even tried to strangulate me. Don't I have the right to act in self-defence? I have also decided to approach the women commission." —  Prof Satnam Kour, Dean Students Welfare, Jammu university