Student activists across Delhi University have slammed administration’s latest move of introducing a blanket ban on protests in an advisory issued on Saturday, 16 February. The advisory undersigned by DU’s proctor Neeta Sehgal has barred students from occupying university premises for the purpose of protests citing disruption in academic activities.
“All the students of Delhi University are advised not to occupy University premises of Departments/ Library / Administrative Blocks for protest and dharnas. These acts cause disruption in academic activities as well as day to day functioning of the respective offices,” the advisory issued by DU’s proctor’s office states.
Proctor Neeta Sehgal did not answer the calls and text messages made to her by The Quint.
The copy will be updated with her response.
‘Draconian Move by DU’
Disgruntled with the move which takes away a student’s right to protest against their grievances, student organisations like RSS-backed ABVP, Congress’ student wing NSUI and autonomous collective of women Pinjra Tod, hailing from different political ideologies, have found themselves on the same page.
Calling it a draconian move, Pinjra Tod activists said it is an attempt to clamp down on students’ right to protest and the varsity’s way of criminalising dissent and democracy in an already depoliticised campus space.
“This advisory has to be seen on a continuum of the systematic silencing that the State and University administration have been engaged with. In the same discourse, social media posts are pretexts for suspension, giving a free rein to the right wing and majoritarian ideas to capture the University discourse,” said Avantika Tiwari, a Pinjra Tod activist.
The advisory, Avantika said, implies all resistance is criminal and all aggression as unchallengeable.
Congress-backed student wing NSUI organised a protest on Wednesday, 20 February. “If this conduct is breached students will be eligible for punishment and any legal action can be taken against them,” NSUI Delhi President Akshay Lakra told The Quint. He added that the move has been taken by DU’s VC under the guidance of this government which has shown no tolerance to dissent.
‘Nazi Command to Curb Dissent’
NSUI also burnt a cut-out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, depicting him as Hitler along with a copy of the advisory.
"This decision will weaken the democracy and the democratic culture that has been prevailing since a long time in Delhi University campus. And if this decision is not taken back, NSUI will continue its protest,” Akshay said.
“It is an attempt by the university to curb democratically rising voices of students. The advisory would prohibit students from using the entire university space. If the students cannot raise their voice in campus, where will they go? The DU VC is anyway not listening to the demands of students,” Monika Choudhary, National Convener of ABVP told The Quint.
While the advisory does not mention the action to be meted out against the violators, it has raked up the ordinance of the Delhi University Act 1922, which mentions that causing disruption in any manner to the academic functioning of the university amounts to an act of gross indiscipline.
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