BJB (Autonomous) College in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 19: Protesting against “police inaction” in recent cases of pre-poll violence at BJB (Autonomous) College, around 30 students applied for college leaving certificates (CLCs) today.

“It has been almost a month since the violence took place, but police have not made any arrests nor taken any action against the offenders. Despite reaching a compromise, we have been receiving threat calls from outsiders. As a result, many students have stopped coming to the college. We have been forced to ask for CLCs because we no longer feel safe on campus,” said Ajit Behera, a third-year arts student, who was elected as president of the students’ union last year.

The students had earlier staged a demonstration in the arts block premises demanding stern action against the “outsiders” (non-students), who had allegedly beaten up two students of the college. The violence had erupted in connection with the students’ union elections.

Three incidents of violence involving BJB students have taken place in the past two months, following which campus elections were cancelled by the college authorities.

On July 29, two groups, backed by two politicians of the same party, engaged in a scuffle in which two students were injured. Although both groups had reached a compromise, they clashed again on July 31 over putting up banners on the campus.

On the night of August 24, they clashed for the third time. This time a Plus Three second-year student was reportedly attacked with sharp weapons and sustained deep injuries on his forehead, hand and neck. One platoon of police was deployed outside the campus to keep an eye on the tense situation.

College principal Dusmanta Sahoo said: “Their grievance has been brought to our notice. Some of them have even surrendered their identity cards as a mark of protest. They are saying they don’t feel secure in the college. We will forward their application to the higher authorities for further action.”

He added that his request to cancel college elections in view of pre-poll violence was now under the consideration of the higher education department.

“Going by general practice, if elections are not held in a college because of some reasons, a students’ council is formed on the basis of nomination or selection by the principal, subject to certain criteria as fixed by the principal or selection committee. However, the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations on students’ elections is silent about this provision,” said the advisor to the students’ union, K.P. Padhi.