John Wilbert & Y Naveen Kumar
Port Blair, Mar 21: Once again a large number of students staged demonstration in front of the main gate of DBRAIT since 7:30 am. This is third time within this month when such demonstration was carried out by students, which somewhere shows that all is not well inside DBRAIT, and this is the high time for the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to intervene.
Meanwhile the college authorities claimed that the students blocked main gate and also obstructed movement of vehicles entering the Institute.
According to the Dean (Student Affairs) the protesting students also stopped some of their college mates and staffs entering the campus.
“They raised certain issues which were otherwise discussed and decided in the council meeting held on 14th March 2018. All the council member were signatory to the decision taken by the council during the discussion with senior faculty member and Principal convened by Dean (Student Affairs),” informed the Dean (Student Affairs) in a press release.
Terming such demonstration as unfortunate, he claimed that the group of students took Law in their hand and carried out the agitation which was totally illegal since time and again the college authorities have indicated that any grievance of the students should only be placed through the duly elected students council since no other student body is authorised to take up issues related to students of DBRAIT other than duly elected students council.
“With the intervention of SDM and Police the students were dispersed within two hours and the students have given an undertaking that in future they will not repeat the same mistake,” the Dean (Student Affairs) added.
However, continuous demonstration by students of DBRAIT has made it clear that they are happy with the way their institute is dealing with them and students are not comfortable with DBRAIT’s system of functioning.
Large number of students today under the banner of ABVP sat with a number of placards with demands which read “Remove the Principal save DBRAIT”, “We want separate block for BTECH”, “Reduce college timing”.
Needless to say that today also the Andaman and Nicobar Police acted in a total insensitive manner and treated students like terrorists and picked them up in buses. Later students were taken to Police line, from where students were allowed to go home, only after signing a declaration. In recent days such police action gives an impression, as if the Administration is functioning under dictatorship, where common man does not have rights even to protest and express their concern.
Sadly in this entire episode the demands of students remained un-noticed it seems. As the Lt. Governor is not meeting public directly in such cases, these days, and Chief Secretary is away, there is a little hope for the students and there are also chances that such protest will continue in future, may be, in a bigger scale.
Very unfortunate! since Hon’ble PM Modiji throughout the world advocates that youths of India are its strength & future torch bearers.