At least 15 students at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) in Hyderabad, Telangana, have been suspended by the administration for their involvement in protests that took place over three months ago over unhygienic mess conditions. The protests happened in September.
Additionally, several other students have received warning letters, with the administration threatening strict action if they are involved in any future misconduct or acts of indiscipline.
“We have received warning letters from the administration and have been asked to sign an undertaking form, effectively permitting them to take strict action against us if we are involved in any future protests or gatherings on campus. We have been suspended from attending classes, and our promotion to the next semester has been withheld,” a postgraduate student from the university, who took part in the protests in September, told EdexLive, on the condition of anonymity.
According to an office order issued to students on December 10, the university has formed an inquiry committee to investigate the "untoward incidents" following allegations that students were involved in creating unrest and disrupting the university's normal functioning.
Protests against unhygienic food conditions in the hostel mess were held on campus on September 19 and 20, 2024.
Another email received by a student from the proctor’s office, a copy of which is with EdexLive, stated, "Your promotion/registration to the next semester is on hold due to disciplinary action."
Another student pursuing a master’s degree at the university, on the condition of anonymity, shared, “I just completed my first semester with a really good CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) but now my promotion to next semester has been cancelled because of the protests.”
This is not the first time...
This is not the first time the students have faced punitive measures for holding protests or gatherings on campus.
Reportedly, a group of students organised a gathering on December 6, to mark 32 years since the demolition of Babri Masjid and discuss issues of communal tension in the country. The students later received a warning from the proctor’s office for holding the discussion on campus without prior permission.
“It is shocking that universities are restricting students from holding social and educational discussions. In these institutions, we are taught about social action, yet we are not even allowed to practice it on campus. Universities should play a key role in amplifying students’ voices. However, when they attempt to silence us, it becomes impossible to speak out against societal wrongs and raise our voices in the face of injustice,” the student added.
No student union on campus
The university is also receiving flak for cancelling the student union elections for the current academic year in view of the protests. Currently, there is no student union at the university.
“On the second day of the protest, the student union elections were cancelled. As of now, we have not received any further notices, and we are unsure if the candidates for the elections will even be eligible, should the elections be rescheduled,” said a student from the varsity.
Student unions like the All India Students’ Union (AISA) and Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) have also issued statements against the university’s actions.
“We demand that the MANUU administration commences the students' union election on campus without any further delay. The suppression of student dissent and the denial of democratic rights is unacceptable, and we will not stand by silently while students are being persecuted for their activism,” said a statement by the JNUSU.
EdexLive attempted to contact MANUU’s proctor office for an official comment on the situation, but the university refused to comment.
