Pandemic is behind us: ABVP stages protest to push DU to reopen fully, start physical classes

The protesting students also said that they should have the right to choose between online and offline modes during the term-end examinations
ABVP students during the protest (Pic: ABVP)
ABVP students during the protest (Pic: ABVP)

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held a protest on Chhatra Marg, near Delhi University’s Arts Faculty demanding that they fully reopen the university and start on-campus classes. Other student organisations have been protesting for the same thing for quite some time now.

The protesting students also said that they should have the right to choose between online and offline modes during the term-end examinations. They added that all the libraries should be reopened for a period of at least 12 hours each working day and all undergraduate and postgraduate hostels should also be reopened. 

“The pandemic is behind us and we are in the home stretch to comprehensive recovery and growth. In these circumstances, the resumption of on-campus classes becomes imperative to arrest the slide in the learning curve of students brought about by a combination of factors like the unavailability of costly textbooks due to closure of libraries, the noticeable absence of doubt-clearing sessions and unequal access to online classroom instructions in view of the predominant digital divide. While we have pushed for an expeditious reopening of the varsity, we have not insisted on compulsory attendance. Post-resumption, the university administration must ensure the continued availability of virtual classroom instructions and on-campus attendance for students should remain voluntary. Our meeting with the officials of the varsity was promising and we are hopeful that the process of reopening the campus will be set in motion sans further delay to safeguard the interests of the student community," said Sidharth Yadav, State Secretary, ABVP Delhi.

A delegation of ABVP office-bearers met the Proctor and Dean, Students Welfare and presented a memorandum of their demands. "The meeting with the university officials was cordial and the delegation was assured that while the extant hostellers could continue to reside in the hostels as guests, appropriate arrangements for the permanent stay of first-year students will be made after the conclusion of their term-end examinations in March. Furthermore, the library timings would be extended, e-library facility would come into being from the first week of March and the second phase of the campus reopening process, already underway in the present month, would also be completed by March," said a statement from the ABVP. 

The delegation also alerted the Proctor of the high-handed approach of the law enforcement officials and specifically demanded a pruned but adequate police presence within the campus, failing which ABVP will conduct a gherao of the local police station to register its dissatisfaction with the abusive behaviour of the police officials. The Proctor assured that the university administration will consult the concerned police officials and the grievances would be promptly redressed.

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