Cuttack/Sambalpur: Authorities of Ravenshaw University and Madhusudan Law College in Cuttack, Nilagiri College in Balasore district and Sambalpur University Monday cancelled the students’ union elections following campus violence.
The decision to cancel elections in Ravenshaw University was taken at the PG council meeting. Similarly, the decision to cancel the elections in Madhusudan Law College was taken by the staff council.
However, authorities of both the educational institutions have said they will reconsider the decisions if the students give in writing that they will not resort to violence.
Earlier in the day, students of Ravenshaw University staged protests on the campus and boycotted classes demanding direct elections.
The students also staged a demonstration in front of the Vice Chancellor’s office, demanding immediate withdrawal of the decision to hold indirect elections in the university.
Vice Chancellor of the varsity Ishan Patra said, “The elections would be cancelled, if student unrest continues to prevail on the campus.”
Violence also erupted on the campus of Madhusudan Law College after some students fought a pitched battle and ransacked several properties.
Tension gripped two colleges in Balasore district. In the first incident, miscreants hurled bombs on the premises of Nilagiri College at 12.20 pm after the college authorities issued notification for the election at 10 am. Classes were going on as usual during the incident.
Principal Manoranjan Panda convened a staff council meeting and cancelled the students’ union election. He also closed the college sine die following the violence.
The students ran helter-skelter to save their lives. The Principal informed the police. They reached the spot and recovered an unexploded bomb from a lavatory of the UGC building. Later, they defused it by dumping it in a pond.
No casualties were reported during the incident, but some windowpanes were broken.
In another incident, at least three students were injured, one of them critically, after a clash between two groups of students at the Laxmi Narayan College in Jamsuli in Basta block. The injured students were rushed to the community health centre at Basta.
College facilities, including the Principal’s chamber, were ransacked by some students during the clash, Principal Shankar Charan Jena said.
Similar incidents of student violence were also reported from Bantala Degree College in Angul district where two groups clashed and a section of the students locked the college gate. They relented after Bantala IIC Sabyasachi Rout intervened.
The Dhamnagar College in Bhadrak district was closed sine die after bombs were hurled on campus by some students Monday.
Reports from Sambalpur said the authorities of Sambalpur University Monday cancelled students’ union elections after campus violence.
The decision was taken at the PG council meeting. However, the authorities said they will consider elections, if students assure in writing that they will not engage in violence.
As per a notification issued by the Higher Education Department September 28, student union polls in various universities will be held between 8 am and 2 pm October 11. The results will be declared the same day.
PNN