Protesters burn an effigy of Union human resource development minister Kapil Sibal in Motihari on Monday. Picture by Ajit Kumar Verma

Gaya/Motihari, March 5: The Centre’s decision to set up the Central University of Bihar (CUB) in Gaya has created a rift between the residents of the district and those in Champaran (East and West) who want the seat of education in Motihari.

While a cross-section of society in Gaya has expressed solidarity with Union human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal’s decision to set up the varisty CUB in Gaya, the Motihari-based Mahatma Gandhi Kendriya Vishwavidyalaya Sangharsh Morcha has threatened to stage a phase-wise agitation against the Centre and even burn Sibal’s effigies during Holika Dahan in all 472 villages of the district.

On the other hand, social organisations and teachers’ associations of constituent colleges under Magadh University have joined hands in support of setting up the CUB in Gaya.

The Union defence ministry has made available 960 acres of land of the old airport on the Gaya-Tekari road for CUB. Chief minister Nitish Kumar has, however, shot off a missive to Sibal, asking the latter to setting up the university in Motihari.

Nitish has also written a letter to defence minister A.K. Antony to hand over the old airport land to the state government, instead of setting up the university there.

To garner support for the CUB in Gaya instead of Motihari, representatives of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC), the Gaya District Congress Committee (GDCC), Youth Congress and the party farmers’ cell, led by BPCC convener Vijay Kumar Mithu, today staged demonstrations at Gaya College, Anugrah Memorial College, Jagjivan College and Mirza Ghalib College. All the colleges are constituent institutions of the Magadh University.

The teachers’ associations of the colleges have expressed support for the CUB in Gaya. The BPCC and the GDCC have launched a signature campaign and have already garnered support from over 2,500 people in support of the CUB in Gaya, Mithu said. A procession would also be taken out from Azad Park tomorrow, he added.

Prabuddha Naagrik Parishad convener Brijnandan Pathak has issued an open letter in the names of Gaya MP and MLAs, accusing them of keeping mum over the state government’s insistence for CUB in Motihari.

An important point that Pathak has raised in his letter is that north Bihar districts fall under flood-prone zone.

In Motihari, Mahatma Gandhi Kendriya Vishwavidyalaya Sangharsh Morcha members, at a meeting held today, condemned Sibal’s “design of playing nasty politics by announcing the varsity for Gaya and of trying to create regional differences among the people of developing Bihar”.

Even the East Champaran district board and Motihari nagar parishad, at their annual board meetings, have passed proposals for setting up the university in Motihari.

In the first phase of its agitation, the front will target central government offices tomorrow to disrupt the functioning of telecom and postal services with “public support” during working hours. Working president of the front and Motihari nagar parishad chairperson Prakash Asthana has called upon Champaran residents, seeking their full support for the “noble cause”.