Students of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh are staging an email protest against the Proctor Prof Sanjay Kumar. They are seeking permission to watch Netflix in their hostel rooms, wearing Doraemon T-shirts and even blinking during lectures.
What started this?
On September 1, the varsity released a notice in Hindi on its website. The circular which EdexLive has access to reads, "All students are informed that putting up any kind of banner/poster or distributing any other promotional material without permission is completely prohibited on the university campus. If any student is found doing this, action will be taken against him as per the rules of the university."
Post the circular, which students were seemingly unaware of, the Students' Federation of India (SFI), Uttar Pradesh State Committee sought permission to set up a help desk to assist first-year students with admission procedures. The permission was granted yet three students, Abhishek Kumar, Abdul Wahab and Vinod Kumar, were suspended for not adhering to the circular. Though they say that they had put up no banners, BBAU spokesperson Dr Rachna Gangwar, in conversation with EdexLive, said, "Though the students were asked to use the university banner, it was not done. They also did not seek permission through the proper channels. Hence, the action was taken." Even brochures were distributed, which is also against the circular.
Hence, to protest against the circular, the students initiated the mass email protest.
"They release circulars in a discreet manner without promoting them. We found out about the circular on September 8," claims the suspended student Abdul Wahab. Further, he told EdexLive, "I will write to University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar regarding the matter." Additionally, the student disclosed that they are planning to organise a demonstration on September 13, once their suspension period ends.
Mass mailing programme
The mass emails were sent to the proctor with various subjects, screenshots of which EdexLive has access to. Here are a few email subjects to which EdexLive has access:
- Permission to walk in front of proctor office
- Request to gain your lost conscious and learn Ambedkarism
- Permission to use the BBAU library
- Permission to wear Doraemon T-shirt
- Permission to Blink During Lectures
- Requesting permission to use anime female voices as ringtone in University premises
- Permission to get vehicle repaired if it gets punctured inside the university
- Permission to roam around the campus and eat food from the dustbin
- Asking for permission to use Netflix inside campus hostel
As per the student, the email protest started on September 9 and was initially scheduled for a day. "But since the circular doesn't have a definite time, the permission-seeking emails will continue as long as the students wish to participate," he adds.
Official word
On September 5, 2023, three students were given suspension orders. The order issued by the proctor Prof Sanjay Kumar, which EdexLive has access to, read, "As per the recommendations of the Proctorial Board, Mr. Abdul Wahab and Mr. Vinod Kumar, M.A., Department of Political Science are hereby suspended with immediate effect for Seven days (07) and during this period the University campus shall be out of bound for them."
Another order issued on the same date, shared with EdexLive by the students, read, "As per the recommendations of the Proctorial Board, the University campus is hereby declared to be out of bound for Mr. Abhishek Kumar, who is not presently regular University student, with immediate effect till further order."
