GNDU students rally in support of Panjab University protesters

Amid growing student unrest across Punjab, organisations at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) held a peaceful protest march today in solidarity with the students of Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh. The demonstration was organised to oppose the alleged attempt to undermine the constitutional sovereignty of Panjab University and to demand the restoration of student body elections in state colleges and universities.

Beyond party lines and age barriers, the ongoing protests at PU have sparked widespread support from students across districts. Earlier, the Punjab Education Minister had emphasised the need for greater student participation and representation at university and college levels, hinting at the possibility of reinstating student elections in government higher education institutions.

Leading the protest, Jaskaran Singh Zira, vice-president of SATH, said the students of Punjab stand united against the move to dilute PU’s Senate. “This is a message for the youth and people of Punjab that we stand together with our student fraternity across the state, whether at PU or elsewhere. After the divisions of 1947 and 1966, Punjabis have already endured enough. We will not let history repeat itself,” he stated.

The protest, which began from the Gurdwara Sahib within the GNDU campus, culminated at the fountain chowk/main roundabout near the main gate. Students from 13 different social and political organisations joined the event, including representatives from Punjabi University, Patiala.

Along with the demand for announcing Senate election dates at PU, the protesters also raised the long-standing issue of the ban on student body elections in Punjab’s state universities and colleges. The Punjab Government had imposed the ban in 1984, following violent incidents during an anti-government campaign.