By Deepti Bharthur and Ardra Balachandran
Students had dispersed on Tuesday, September 8th, after the DSW informed them that a Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC) meeting will happen next day to decide on future course of action.
As promised, the GRC meeting happened around 3.30 pm at Vice Chancellor’s chamber and finished by 6.30 pm. As soon as Dr Ananthakrishnan, the Dean of Students' Welfare, was dropped off at his office at SN School, SFI members approached him for an update.
He told them that the GRC had decided that after a full review of pertaining documents, a decision will be taken. Unhappy with the mandate that counting was not going to begin soon, SFI members demanded for the same quoting VC’s permission to go ahead with the proceedings. The DSW further explained the issue and expressed the inability to gather observers (for the counting process) so quickly. At this, the SFI members gheraoed Dr. Ananthakrishnan’s office and repeated their demand
Police soon came from the Chanda Nagar station and had a closed room discussion with the DSW to analyse the feasibility of having a counting. After this, it was relayed by the DSW that because the campus environment was not conducive for a peaceful counting process, a minimum of 150 personnel would be required for it to take place.
SFI members agitated again on hearing this announcement. They continued with the allegation that the administration was falling prey to the threatenings of other political parties and postponing the electoral process unnecessarily. However, a faculty member Mr. Vasuki Belavadi from the Department of Communication, who was present at the site also chipped in and convinced them that counting will resume as soon as the required forces are granted by the state; mostly in two days.
SFI comrades seemed to have accepted this suggestion and retired peacefully. Representatives of no other organization were present during the incident.
Most of the problems in the present election process multiplied due to in different attitude of Dean Students' Welfare, Prof. Anantakrishanan, who ignored notable grave mistakes and went ahead repeatedly with election process. As a result he lost faith from ABVP-ASA-DSU & NSUI in the first instance and later from others.
ReplyDeleteSome of significant mistakes he done were -
1. Elections should be conducted in the months of September/October as per academic council resolution. But totally ignored this, and supported to conduct GBM to dissolve Students' Union 2008-09 body.
2. Before conducting GBM for dissolving of SU dody, School Board cum Councillors approval should be taken. This was not taken on record. He even not bothered for this.
3. As per J.M.Lyngdoh Committee recommendations endorsed by Suprem Court of India, after implementing J M Lyngdoh Committee recommendations for two years a review should be done. Then only third year election should be conducted. Though University followed two years Lyngdoh recommendations from 2007-08 & 2008-09, no review was so far conducted to access the feasibility of further following the recommendations, if required with modifications. DSW ignored this clause too.
The above three are significant aspects consciously ignored by DSW, though pointed out by ASA-DSU & NSUI many a time.
In addition to the above mistakes he (DSW) done, the inefficient Election Commission and other mistakes alleged by anti SFI organisations in this Election process made elections absolutely faithless.
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