Students’ Union Elections Cancelled In Ravenshaw, Sambalpur Varsities & MS Law College

Photograph: Suprakash Mishra

Cuttack/Sambalpur: The authorities of Ravenshaw University in Cuttack, Jyoti Vihar University in Sambalpur and Madhusudan Law College in Cuttack on Monday cancelled the students’ union elections following campus violence.

The decision regarding cancellation of elections in both the universities 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, the authorities of all the three educational institutions have laid a condition that they will consider elections, if the students assure in writing that they will not resort to violence.

Earlier in the day, the students of Ravenshaw University had staged protests on the university 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.

“The authorities of the university had recently published a notification to conduct indirect elections this year. More than 8, 000 students and lecturers strongly oppose the decision as such move will in no way benefit the students. The administration had intentionally declared to hold indirect elections as the mass irregularities including, unnecessary fee hike on different occasions, will be exposed, if conducted in direct mode,” an agitating student said.

The entire student community and lecturers will close down the university on October 3, if the authorities fail to withdraw their decision at the earliest, the student added.

Reacting over the incident, 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 campuses of Sambalpur University and Madhusudan Law College after some students fought a pitched battle and ransacked several properties.