PU POLLS: No let-up in security on campus despite dip in violent incidents
Deepankar Sharda
Chandigarh, August 28
There was a time when it was common for the Chandigarh Police and the Panjab University security personnel to find vehicles carrying weapons, such as sickles, sluggers, iron rods, cricket bats or swords, on the university campus during the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) elections.
“I remember an incident during the 2015 elections in which the security personnel recovered two sickles, an axe and 45 baseball and cricket bats from one car alone. But such incidents are few and far between now. Student leaders are not even allowed to hold open election rallies or programmes anymore, and it has helped the authorities keep the situation under control,” noted P Singh of the Chandigarh Police.
Intensive checking being carried out
Intensive checking is being carried out by the university security and Chandigarh Police personnel. We are aiming for a peaceful election. There has been a dip in incidents of outsiders or students bringing weapons to the campus, thanks to proper security arrangements. —Vikram Singh, Security Officer, PU
Dwelling on the PUCSC polls, a university security officer said, “Senior leaders on the campus eye it as an opportunity to launch their political career. And they don’t want to run into any legal trouble.”
He added that the security personnel still search the cars entering the campus, but of late they have not caught visitors, save for a few exceptions, with anything that raises a safety risk.
The Chandigarh Police have tightened the noose around troublemakers ahead of the fast-approaching elections, which they hope would be conducted in a smooth and peaceful manner.
Gone are the days when scuffles would be reported on the campus amid students’ elections.
“Earlier, the parties used to canvas with a full-fledged show of strength. Even outsiders used to participate in such events,” recalled a senior faculty member at the university. Occasionally, even history-sheeters used to turn up at the university campus to throw their lot with various political parties in the fray, he added. “However, a convoy of security personnel now accompanies the party members as they set out to canvass. Besides, many security agencies are involved now. Things have changed,” he noted.
It may be recalled that a brawl once broke out between workers and leaders of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and the Panjab University Students’ Union (PUSU) in 2014 as canvassing was under way at the BA/BEd Department. A PUSU worker was injured in the incident and an FIR was lodged under Sections 341, 323, 506 and 34 at the Sector-11 police station against the NSUI leaders.
Later in 2017, some students protesting a hike in their fees were charged with sedition and other criminal offences following a clash with the local police in which over 60 persons, including students, cops and journalists were injured — four of them critically.
In 2016, three students were injured in a clash during a fashion show at the Law Auditorium. Some unidentified men had reportedly fired shots in the air over a dispute and fled the spot. More recently, in 2019, an NSUI supporter was hurt during a clash with a representative of the Student Organisation of India (SOI) on the election day.
At present, around 65 university security personnel are deployed in each of the three shifts and are manning 20 hostels and 78 departments on the campus. In the days to come, central reserve police forces will also be deployed on the campus.
On Monday, wardens carried out checks in the hostels.
ABVP announces candidates
The university unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has announced the names of its candidates for the student council elections. Unit president Rajat Puri stated that the party would contest two posts. Rakesh Deshwal is eyeing the post of the president, while Avinash Yadav will vie for the position of the general secretary. Deshwal is a resident of Panipat who is pursuing an LLM in the UILS department. In the past, he has performed the duties of the unit vice president, Chandigarh, and the executive member in DAV College. Yadav, who hails from Agra, is pursuing an MTech from the UIET department. He has previously served as the unit vice-president of ABVP PU Unit.
