Rs 40k Fine for Drawing Graffiti? Ambedkar Uni Student Fights Back

Apart from the heavy fine, the student has been urged to partake in anger management therapy.

Photo from protest held at Ambedkar University Delhi on 9 March

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

“Why will I be angry? When a university student is reclaiming his university walls, his campus space, why will he be angry?” says Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) student Priyansh Maurya, who was suspended for making graffitis in the university as part of a protest.

When COVID seemed to be dying down, the Student’s Federation of India (SFI) had given a protest call for 9 March, to get the campus of AUD reopened.

Maurya asks, “When schools from Classes 9 to 12 could be reopened, then why can’t the university?”

SFI had demanded that the classes be started in offline mode and both, online and offline modes, could run simultaneously. Maurya along with others made graffitis in the university regarding the same.

On 10 March, Maurya received a notice from the School of Undergraduate Studies (SUS) office, which said that as per CCTV footage, Maurya had been suspended and debarred from the university from defacing the campus walls.

A fine of Rs 40,000 was also put on the student. Further adding to the punishments, on 9 April, Maurya was told to take therapy for his alleged anger issues.

Maurya adds that the way, “the university administration is creating this atmosphere of fear among the students; that there should be no resistance, everyone should sit quietly and stop questioning”, needs to be considered when one looks at the state of higher education in the country.

While speaking to The Quint, the university said that the actions taken against Maurya were “appropriate” and “all decisions have been taken in the interest of the student”.

Maurya rejects the claim of him being angry while making the graffiti and wonders if the suspension will cost him a year.