Education Desk
Journalist Sandeep Dhand
10 November
A large crowd has gathered inside Panjab University, Chandigarh, in response to the “University Bandh” call given by the Panjab University Bachao Morcha. Despite strict restrictions and heavy barricading by the Chandigarh Police, thousands of students, farmers, laborers, religious and social organizations, employee unions, and leaders from various political parties from Punjab and neighboring states have reached the campus in large numbers.
In the early hours of the day, police had closed all the entry gates of the university to prevent the protestors from entering. However, the massive crowd broke through the barricades and entered the campus, ignoring the police blockades. Later, the police also tried to stop vehicles carrying langar (community kitchen food), but those vehicles too managed to enter the premises.
The area near the Vice Chancellor’s office now looks like a scene from the Singhu and Tikri border farmer protests. A big stage has been set up where leaders and students are addressing the gathering. Protestors are chanting slogans demanding that the university issue the notification for Senate elections, which they believe is being unnecessarily delayed.
Meanwhile, the rest of the university campus is under tight security, creating an atmosphere similar to a curfew. Police personnel are deployed in large numbers, and barricades have been placed around the main gates and nearby roads. Traffic jams have been reported on roads passing near the university as hundreds of vehicles are parked around the area.
The situation remains tense, and authorities are monitoring the protest closely. The demonstrators have announced that the agitation will continue until their main demand — the release of the Senate election notification — is accepted by the administration.