Kanupriya warns VC, says don’t interfere

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 6

Kanupriya (22), a second-year student of MSc (Zoology), created history on Thursday as students chose her as the first woman president of the PU.

Hailing from the SFS, Kanupriya, after her victory, issued a warning to the VC, Prof Raj Kumar, asking him not to interfere in the students’ council work.

On how she planned to deal with a VC hailing from the RSS-BJP background, she replied, “Students here have decided that the RSS-BJP can rule other universities, but not the PU.”

On what she won’t allow in the PU, she said, “The students’ council will not be a bootlicker.” She said, “There will not be any gheri route in the PU now. Privatisation will not be tolerated. Fee hike will not be allowed.”

“In cultural functions, we want representation of students and will not allow singers who denigrate women in their songs,” she said.

Lists out priorities

On her priorities, she said, “The girls of the PU are ‘azaad’ (independent) now. We will work towards keeping girls’ hostels open all day and night. The council will be run by students now.”

She added, “You do not find any banner of the Panjab University Committee Against Sexual Harassment (PUCASH) on the campus. There is no reference anywhere. There should be representation of students in PUCASH.”

On the “ABVP rise”, she said, “The ABVP was not in the competition. There was intervention by the authorities, who came out openly in their support.”

Doesn’t use surname

Kanupriya doesn’t use her second name. “Surname is connected with casteism. That is why I don’t use it,” she said.

Her father is a manager in a highway industry, while her mother is a nurse. On support from parents, she said, “They motivated me a lot. They shared all my Facebook posts in the run-up to the poll. It helped me a lot. When you are going from room to room for campaigning, it is so satisfying to know that your parents and grandparents are telling you ‘chak de phatte’.” She hails from Tarn Taran district of Punjab.