Protestors sit on silent dharna outside lecture venue to inform delegates of complaints against SU VC

GANGTOK, 08 April: Ever since a section of the faculty went public with their allegations of irregularities in how the Sikkim University vice chancellor managed the recruitment process, protests against the VC have become more public and have started coming more often. In the latest instance, the groups protesting the VC’s handling of Sikkim University affairs, sat on a silent dharna outside Chintan Bhawan, holding up banners highlighting their points of protest and handing out pamphlets explaining these in more detail for anyone interested. Inside, the Sikkim University was holding its 3rd Spring Lecture programme and a book discussion session.
The protestors represented the joint committee formed by the Sikkim University Development Committee of Yangang, Tumin- Lingzey Youth Association, Rabongla Aastha Samaj, Students Union of Sikkim and Sikkim Sachet Berojgar Swarojgar Sangathan which have been consistently protesting against the VC for the past couple of weeks.
The focus of their protest was the group’s feeling of disenchantment with the university’s admission policy [which, they insist does not incorporate adequate presence of local students], the high fee structure, refusal to allow student unions or representative bodies to be formed among others.
“We are not trying to hamper the programme inside, but are just trying to inform the delegates, through our presence, of how things are not as rosy at SU as they would be told inside,” a member of the protesting group said.
Their demand for focus on local interests was not illegitimate, they contended, pointing out to a section in the SU Act which highlights that among the University’s main agendas would be “to educate and train manpower for the development of the State of Sikkim and to pay special attention to the improvement of the social and economic conditions and welfare of the people of that state, their intellectual, academic and cultural development”.
The protestors went on to point out that while the Admission Prospectus for 2012-23 mentions that “for the session 2012- 13, in addition to the intake capacity/ stipulated intake capacity another 25% of seats will be set aside for the foreign students in M Phil/ PhD programmes of Sikkim University”.
“If globally friendly policies can be adopted by the University then why the same can’t be extended to the students of Sikkim,” they question.
The university, under the VC, has not looked after the needs of students here and this, the protestors feel is revealed by the University’s refusal to grant permanent affiliation to any college in the State.
The University has not yet formed a College Development Council, they mention, explaining that such councils were necessary because they played an important role in the development of colleges and upliftment of education.