Saturday, September 12, 2009

SMIT follow-up: AGP MP moves Kapil Sibal

NEW DELHI, Sept 11 – AGP Rajya Sabha MP Kumar Deepak Das has urged Minister of Human Resources, Kapil Sibal to intervene in the incidents of attack on students in Sikkim, Shillong and Punjab. The MP quoted the Minister as saying that as the incident involved a private university it is difficult to control. He also pointed out that law and order was state subject.
Das, said he has urged the H R D Minister to take urgent steps to ensure return of academic atmosphere in the institutions. He also alleged that the institutions took huge amount of money from students during the admission promising facilities that were never provided.

Meanwhile, a student of Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT) on condition of anonymity told this newspaper that on September 7, evening a heated arguments took place between the ‘local’ students and ‘outsiders’ over a volleyball match. This erupted into a clash between the two groups on the following day. The ‘local’ students bashed up ‘outsiders’ and vandalised the college buildings and premises.

Sensing trouble the authorities called in the Sikkim Police, which too was not of much help and instead lathi-charged the students. The teachers too left the students to fend for themselves.

Fearing for their lives the students barricaded themselves inside their hostel rooms. They piled up almirahs, beds, and tables to jam the doors, so that no one can open it. They remain so barricaded throughout the night of September 8.

Meanwhile the students were given marching orders the same night, the victim said. The students’ frantically called up their parents.

In the morning of September 9 all the hostel students including girls, were rounded up and cramped into buses and dumped at Siliguri Railway station. Some of the outstation students had not reached their home even till September 10 and were languishing at various stations- as they took whatever train they could enter

(ASSAM TRIBUNE)