Ashoka University students protesting enhanced surveillance spend night outside campus

Amid the biting cold, hundreds of students of the Ashoka University spent the whole night outside their university campus on Thursday while protesting the new policy of enhanced surveillance by the university administration. The students said they would continue their protest till their demands were met.

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Students, under the banner of ‘Students Against Surveillance’ gathered at the atrium in front of the administration building with empty luggage bags on Thursday night and staged a mass walkout from Gate Number 2.

The students declared that they would not comply with baggage scanning and metal detector screening to come back on the campus.

The students further alleged that the university administration had disabled the official mail ID of the Ashoka University Student Government (AUSG) at night for around 75 minutes.

The protesting students, including a large number of girls, alleged that the security department had also declined the request of the AUSG to let them use washrooms on the campus at night.

Students entered the university campus in the morning after boycotting the baggage scanner.

On the other hand, the Ashoka University administration, in its statement to the media, said the recent measures of screening baggage and belongings at Ashoka University Campus were aimed at enhancing the safety and welfare of students. It said the measures had been implemented in consultation with faculty and staff representatives, keeping the student government and campus ministry involved.

All students returning from their winter break moved into the campus last weekend undergoing the baggage scanning without any problem.

“We are constantly engaging with the student government for their inputs on how to improve safety of the students,” Ashoka University said. “The university is taking all necessary steps in this matter, keeping in view the overall safety and well-being of students, which is paramount to us,” it said.