Students Protest, Demand Direct Elections in Universities and Colleges in Haryana

Students protesting against indirect students’ union elections in the colleges and universities in Haryana have been allegedly attacked by the state police on Friday. Over 12 students were arrested, while several sustained injuries during the lathi charge in Rohtak’s Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) campus and Kurukshetra University campus.

“We have been protesting since October 11 seeking the cancellation of indirect election system. Yesterday, two of the protesting students were arrested in MDU, and 10 were arrested in Kurukshetra,” said Arjun, one of the protesting students, and a member of Students’ Federation of India (SFI).

In MDU alone, more than 50 students were injured allegedly during the lathi charge by the police. In Kurukshetra, the students conducted a peaceful march on Saturday against the attempts of the state police to repress the peaceful students’ movement.

 “Except for ABVP, other leading students’ organisations in the state have come together on this platform to put forward their demands,” said Arjun.

A conglomeration of 10 students’ unions has already been formed, demanding direct elections in the state. SFI, Indian National Students’ Organisation (INSO), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Chhatra Ekta Manch, Ambedkar Missionaries Vidhyarthi Association are part of the conglomeration.

The student community in the state has registered their protest against the authoritarian actions of the state government through these protests.

On Friday, while addressing the gathering in MDU, INSO State President Pradeep Deswal said: “The BJP government wants to install Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members as student leaders in all colleges and universities of Haryana by conducting indirect elections.”

The students’ union elections in the state are being scheduled on October 17 after a gap of 22 years. Though the student organisations in the state have been demanding a direct election, the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government had come up with a notification announcing indirect elections. In the indirect election system, the class representatives (CR) will be elected in colleges, and department representatives (DR) would be elected in University Departments. These CRs and DRs will further elect the office bearers of the union in their respective institutions.

The students across the state have, however, resolved to continue their protest until their demands are fulfilled.

The last students' union elections were held in Haryana in 1996. The then Chief Minister Bansi Lal had banned student elections in the state from the following year.