FIVE DAYS LATER, TENSION STILL PREVAILS IN NORTH CAMPUS
Classes are expected to resume in Delhi University on Monday and Ramjas College administration has scheduled a student gathering meet
Even after five days having passed after the clashes between two student groups of varying ideologies, tension continued to prevail in Delhi University’s North Campus on Sunday in the wake of some protests by students. Colleges, meanwhile, were closed on account of Sunday.
“Discussions and dialogue between various groups of students are still continuing for restoration of peaceful atmosphere that should be the norm for serious academic activity,” said a third year student of the Arts Faculty of the University, who wished to remain anonymous.
A large number police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed to ensure a peaceful and calm environment in the University premises.
“Fearing trouble, many students associated with the anti-abvp (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) protests, who reside around the campus, have left to stay elsewhere. Unfortunately, some of the students have been in fear of getting into trouble with ABVP activists in the last year and are apprehensive of their ouster from the DU campus politics,” said a History student.
“Students need not to fear, police have already made proper arrangements and ample amount of security personnel have been deployed in the University campuses. Moreover, we are vigilant over the students unions’ movements,’ says Jatin Narwal, District Commissioner of Police, Northern Range.
“No incidents of clashes have been reported in the past two days, but anger and fear can easily been seen among the students. Meanwhile, ABVP activists are dominating the streets of North Campus and spreading threat messages among students,” said Utkarsh, a second year student of PGDAV College.
Despite the nature of the prevailing circumstances, “classes are expected to resume in Delhi University on Monday and Ramjas administration has scheduled a student gathering meet, which will be addressed by the Principal of the college,” said Kunal Garg, a second year student of Economics, Ramjas College. Garg also alleged that several students’ facebook accounts had been hacked and hate messages had spread through them.
Contrary to the peace efforts, however, ABVP activists are likely to launch another protest in the North Delhi campus. Followed by this, AISA will lead their own protests with Student Federation of India (SFI), Pinjra Tod (an independent collective of students and alumni of colleges across Delhi), and other students not associated with any groups on Tuesday.