Resentment is brewing among students over the proposal sent to the state government by the Lucknow University for holding indirect elections to students union.
Resentment is brewing among students over the proposal sent to the state government by the Lucknow University for holding indirect elections to students union.
According to the proposal, all classes will first elect their representatives who, in turn, will elect the office bearers of the students’ union.
The university officials feel that the system will work better since direct elections lead to anarchy and violence on the campus and disturb the academic atmosphere. The proposal further says that a similar system should be adopted in the 20 aided, four government and other private colleges affiliated to the university.
The Akhilesh government, while keeping mum on the proposal, has announced that elections to the student unions should be held within eight weeks of the commencement of the next academic session, in accordance with the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee.
Students are not only averse to the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations but are also opposing the proposed system.
Student leader Vivek Singh Monu of ABVP said that the proposed election system was totally unacceptable to students and they would vehemently oppose it.
“We will launch a major agitation if the government accepts the new system. This system is undemocratic and will introduce horse trading at the university level. The state government will have to face a state-wide agitation if they go ahead with this system”, he said.
Dr Neeraj Jain, a faculty member of the Lucknow University and also a former president of the Lucknow University Students Union, was not in favour of the proposed system.
He said, “This is a strangulation of democracy and students should be allowed to vote directly for their union members.”
Other faculty members, however, are in favour of the new system.
A senior faculty member in the Botany department said, “The new system will help in de-politicising the campus. The direct involvement of political parties and the mafia in student politics will be curbed and the academic environment will be restored to a great extent. We fully support the proposal. Elections to students unions in universities and colleges have been marred by violence, even murders.”
Students’ elections in all universities and colleges were banned by the then Mayawati government in 2007 and have not been held ever since. The recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee further queered the pitch since a majority of the student organisations were opposed to it.
Students have been opposing the limit on expenditure and also the age limit on contestants.
The Samajwadi Party has always favoured elections to students’ unions and Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav believes that student unions are a nursery for politicians. Majority of the Samajwadi leaders have been drawn from student politics.
