Protest by Sanskrit students from today

Tribune News Service

Advertisement

Haridwar, November 30

The Uttarakhand Sanskrit University Students’ Union has announced a sit-in agitation from December 1 against the non-fulfilment of their demands by the university administration.

Students Welfare Union president Shiv Charan Naudiyal said they had been apprising the university administration about their demands for the past fortnight, but till date, no step or move to even give an assurance had been taken, which had forced them to stage an indefinite sit-in agitation.

Naudiyal said a delegation of the student body also met Pradesh Congress Committee president Kishore Upadhyay, Maha Mandaleshwar Swami Hari Chetnanand and Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad national spokesperson Baba Hatyogi today, who assured of raising their demands with the state government and the university administration.

”We will be staging a sit-in on the university premises from December 1, with three students observing day-long fast on daily basis. We are getting support from all Uttarakhand Sanskrit University student unions as well as from former students,” he said.

The students have been demanding hostel facility, better infrastructure, availability of books in library, appointment of additional teachers and a sports ground, among others.

Student leader Anup Bahukhandi hostel building has still not been erected, despite its foundation stone being laid four years ago while 39 posts of professor, associate professor, assistant professor and clerks have still not been filled. This is affecting the educational standard of the university, Naudiyal added.

When contacted, vice-chancellor of Uttarakhand Sanskrit University Professor Mahavir Aggarwal said he had urged students to give up their agitation as he had been constantly working to ensure that all the legitimate demands of the students were adhered to in the coming days.

A dialogue was the best way to amicably solve any issue and students should ensure that the academic environment did not get affected, he added.