Panjab University (PU) has banned the use of glass material such as cold drink bottles or tea glasses till the student elections. The elections are slated for September 6.
In orders issued on August 27, the Dean Students Welfare (DSW), Prof Emanual Nahar, has ordered that all mess/canteen contractors and shopkeepers of the Student Centre are “directed not to use any glass material such as cold drink bottles and glasses for tea and coffee on the PU premises”.
The DSW has called for using only glasses made of disposable material till the elections.
The orders are important as in fights between students earlier, cold drink bottles were used as weapons. On November 8, 2010, a fight took place between two factions of the Panjab University Students Union when glass bottles and swords were used, leaving five policemen injured at the Student Centre. Despite the DSW’s orders, tea was being served in glasses at the Student Centre on Tuesday. Though the code of conduct came into force on Tuesday with the announcement of the election schedule, the Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) had brought printed material during their panel announcement just outside the office of the DSW.
Also, cars could be seen carrying printed posters.
UT Admn points out last year’s flaws
“Last year, it was observed that during the election campaign, tents of rival students’ unions were placed nearby and on the main road. A proper place may be identified and suitable distance may be kept between tents of the rival students’ unions. The strength of the students should not be more than 25 in tents,” said the Chandigarh SSP in a letter to the VC, Prof Raj Kumar.
He also pointed out that last year, identity cards were not issued in time, which caused considerable inconvenience to bona fide students of the PU.
He said the beat staff had told him that CCTV cameras installed at various gates were not in working order and these need to be repaired to trace the crime in case of an untoward incident.
‘PU will be responsible if outsiders commit violence’
The UT SSP has told the PU VC that the university authorities would be held responsible for any violence created by outsiders who are not bona fide students of the university. He has also called for not allowing outsiders to even campaign at the PU. However, on Tuesday alone, Digvijay Chautala, national president of the Indian National Students Organisation (INSO), who is an outsider, had come to make the party panel announcement while hordes of students had come from outside the PU.
The SSP has added that proper checking at gates and hostels should be done to check outsiders. “Roaming and loitering by outsiders should be brought to the notice to the police immediately.”
He has also called for checking defacement.
Police call for checking trips
“Travel trips arranged by students’ unions should be strictly banned as it is a mode of alluring students to tender their support in favour of a particular party, which may later cause trouble among students’ unions,” the SSP told the VC.
