Hyderabad: The tussle between the University of Hyderabad (UoH) Student Union and administration seems to be perennial. In the latest episode, the UoH vice-chancellor (VC) on Saturday, May 18, alerted the police alleging that students tried to barge in his house at 1 a.m. Students have however said that they were trying to meet the VC to seek an explanation as to why permission was not given to conduct their annual festival Sukoon that’s usually help in April.
According to a circular issued by the UoH administration on May 17, permission to conduct Sukoon was given citing various reasons, including restrictions imposed due to the Lok Sabha Model Code of Conduct (MCC),among other things. The latest incident in UoH also comes just days after several students were injured after they were attacked by the RSS-affiliated Akhila Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP).
Many students were injured in clashes after ABVP reportedly assaulted Students Federation of India (SFI) members on April 17. UoH students said that the administration also cited security reasons due to the violence in April as cancellation of Sukoon.
In a statement to the media on Saturday, the University of Hyderabad (UoH) administration claimed that Students Union was issued an order to conduct the student’s festival ‘Sukoon-2024’ (which was earlier proposed during vacation period) when the university is open for academic session and not during the vacation.
The University of Hyderabad admin also stated that the Students’ Union was asked to consult with the Dean-Students’ Welfare and propose an alternate date during the subsequent semester instead. It is alleged that students without any notice barged into the UoH vice-chancellor’s residence at 1 a.m. on May 18, leading to his family “including his 92-year-old mother are almost like being under house arrest and subjected to mental torture”.
University of Hyderabad students however had a different tale to tell. A student who did not want to be quoted said that they had approached the VC in April itself for permission. However the violence in that month resulted in postponement and May 23 was proposed instead. “They had initially agreed but citing security reasons the event was eventually cancelled. Sukoon is held with the Students Union fund, so how a they deny us our own funds?” He questioned.
Another UoH student stated that they had decided to meet the VC as the administration was not providing them with any proper reasons over the cancellation on Sukoon. “We did not create any problem as claimed. Moreover, the UoH admin has still not taken any single action against ABVP despite having evidence regarding the violence in April,” the student pointed out.
