In a significant development at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) in Patiala, Punjab, tensions between the administration and students have escalated following the protests which began on September 22.
To contextualise, the protest began when female students accused Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Jai Shankar Singh of entering their rooms in the girls’ hostel unannounced and questioning their clothing choices.
On the contrary, the VC has denied the allegations, claiming his visit was to address overcrowding complaints and that he was accompanied by female staff. The protests have since received support from faculty members and alumni.
Communication breakdown between authorities and students
On October 2, an official conference was held between students and an external committee to take cognisance of the ongoing issues. However, the RGNUL student community later alleged that student representatives in the meeting were pressured into having an unofficial discussion to resolve the matter.
The following day, on October 3, another meeting took place, but only on-site students were informed, excluding off-site students.
One statement from the student community noted that the administration had pushed for the resuming of classes, which was against the will of the students.
"After the meeting, the student representatives were told that a report had been drafted, which would be submitted to the Hon’ble Chancellor today, and that classes should resume immediately. The report was prepared by only two of the five on-site members, without consulting the rest," the statement read.
Conversation between students and VC Jai Shankar
On the same day, the VC met with the protesting students. During the course of the conversation, students reiterated their primary demand: either an independent external inquiry into the actions of the VC, or his resignation.
The following is a snippet from the dialogue between a student representative and VC Jai Shankar, shared with EdexLive by a student who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Student: "Our primary demand is either an external inquiry into your actions or your resignation from the administration."
VC: "I will resign for sure."
Students: “That is all then, that is the only way forward that we could see now.”
VC: "Resignation is within my control, so I would rather resign than let this affect my future employment."
Student: “Once you submit your resignation, will be ready to get back to our classes.”
The conversation was recorded with the mutual consent of the VC and the students, and the same was shared with EdexLive. The recording includes a discussion of the VC’s potential resignation, though he also reportedly expressed a desire to avoid any formal inquiry.
Controversy over "Symbolic Classes"
Furthermore, in the most recent development, an anonymous student shared an email communication which stated that the college conducted a “Symbiolic Class”.
It must be noted that the classes were arranged, yesterday, October 3 which was a public holiday in Punjab owing to the observance of Agrasen Jayanti.
The email conversation shared by the student, which EdexLive have access to, read, “Hope you all had a discussion with the worthy External members of the Committee and agreed for the Symbiolic Class at 10.30 am.”
The email further read, “I request all students and Faculty members to kindly attend the symbiotic class and all teachers are requested to award two extra attendance for all students.”
As the situation unfolds, the protesting students remain firm in their demand for an independent inquiry or the VC's resignation.
