Dhankar’s Visit to PU Hampered by Protest over Delay in Senate Elections

On 21 Dec, the Vice President of India and Chancellor of the Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh, Jagdeep Dhankhar visited the campus for the university’s Global Alumni Meet. Students of the university have been protesting over the absence of university Senate elections this year (SDW Vol 2, Issue 47, Story 7). The Senate term ended on 31 Oct. PU gates were closed for long hours and the protesting students were not allowed to meet Dhankar. Earlier, on 10 Dec, the Union Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar responded to Chandigarh INC MP Manish Tewari, ‘The government has no plan to convert PU into a central university at present.’ However, students remain suspicious of the Union govt.’s designs and sense that by not conducting Senate elections, the Union govt. wants to compromise PU’s autonomous position. PU was established in 1882 in Lahore and an additional unit moved to India after the 1947 Partition. Until 1966, Haryana was part of Panjab and its colleges were affiliated to the university. Once Haryana was carved out of Panjab, in 1973, the Ministry of Home Affairs notified that the university had ‘ceased to function and operate in the state of Haryana.’ Panjab’s politicians—across political lines—are united in their stance to preserve PU’s status. Panjab INC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also met Dhankar and emphasised on ‘senate elections at the earliest.’ On 21 Dec, a Chandigarh court dismissed PU’s plea seeking a permanent injunction on student protests on its campus.