Panjab University’s First Woman President Says VC Favours ABVP

Determined, quick and confident – three words that can be used for Panjab University Campus Students’ Council’s first woman president Kanupriya. This 22-year-old, who is pursuing a five-year integrated course in Zoology, got 2,802 votes, and won by a margin of over 700 votes over Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP’s) Ashish Rana on 6 September.

Talking to The Quint, from the campus grounds in Chandigarh, she opened up about how this election was a marked departure from the norm. How? This time issue-based campaigning was voted for over the politics of freebies and entertainment, claimed Kanupriya.

“When the first years come, they get easily influenced by freebies, movie tickets, trips to Kasauli and other things. Issue-based politics was missing here, so SFS (Student’s Fight for Society) started contesting elections from 2014,” she said.

In this interview she outlined how her party, the Student’s Fight for Society, is inspired by freedom fighter Bhagat Singh’s life, how it has both religious and agnostic people, and how she feels the current Vice Chancellor is partial to the student wing of the BJP, ABVP. 

The VC, Raj Kumar, who was professor at the Institute of Management Studies at Banaras Hindu University is known for his association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Singh (RSS). He became VC of Punjab University in July 2018.

In the VC’s office only a maximum of five people are allowed, but the ABVP party goes in together and sits on the sofa and meets him. This is somewhat questionable. Also when the code of conduct is implemented, even then campaigning continues till 10:00 pm. This is also questionable and we can see that he is partial. We hope the VC does not continue these practices in the future.

Kanupriya, President of Panjab University (PU) Campus Students’ Council

Amongst the changes she wants to introduce at the university are: The council should be run by general body meetings (GBMs), privatisation in the university campus – on constructing a new hostel or changing the fee structure – should be duly scrutinised, and the hostel gates should remain open 24x7 for women.