COME
FORWARD TO BUILD A DEMOCRATIC AND ACADEMIC CULTURE IN CAMPUS!
VOTE FOR 4-WHEELER FREE
CAMPUS!
As we all know, few days ago the
campus witnessed a protest against Sexual Harassment. The struggle went on for
12 days, with girls staying at protest site even at night. The protest saw a
lot of opposition with authorities trying to defame the protest and other
so-called students’ organisations playing as their puppets. But despite all
this students stood united and firm and authorities were forced to agree to the
demands. All the demands were met except about entry of 4-wheelers in campus.
The authorities are going to conduct a survey along with PUCSC elections and
the result will decide the fate of the issue. Let’s try to comprehensively deal
with all the points in this regard:
Why the Campus
should be 4-wheelers free?
Ø Number
of 4-wheelers in the campus are increasing due to which traffic has also
increased. The congestion and noise causes much trouble to the students.
Moreover, to adjust these vehicles, the greenery in the campus is being
compromised as the lawns are being converted into parkings.
Ø The
campus, instead of giving the impression of an academic/educational institute,
appears as if some mall/shopping complex/tourist spot where people come not to
study but for mere enjoyment.
Ø Also,
4-wheelers serve as the primary means to spread hooliganism in the campus. During
the campus elections, whole bunches of outsiders are loaded and transported
inside the campus by some “students’ organisations” to make their rallies
“successful”. Moreover the drugs, liquor and weapons also make their way to the
campus through these 4-wheelers.
Ø As
eve-teasing/sexual harassment exists in our society, university is also no
exception. The height of shame is that the road near Girls’ Hostels 3 & 4 is
called by the name of Gedi route. In the evening, the road is seen full
of cars/jeeps which are seen stalking/following/commenting on/teasing/harassing
the girls passing by.
Ø Further
these 4-wheelers promote a discriminatory culture among students. Promoting pomp
and show, this elite culture justifies all above problems. The image of PU is
projected so as if everybody here has/can afford a car (which is contrary to
realty) and the same argument is used by authorities every time to justify the
fee-hike or any other hikes in mess diet prices and other charges.
Many a universities have already
banned 4-wheelers and the demand is being raised in other places too. Similar
demand had been raised at Punjabi University, Patiala. But authorities didn’t
accepted it till recently when a student was killed in an accident there.
Similarly in PEC, the no-vehicle zones were created in the campus only after
the death of a student. So are we
waiting for such an unfortunate incident to happen here??
Now, when the demand for 4-wheeler
free campus has been raised, some arguments are also put against the demand.
Let us see the validity of such arguments.
1. If
4-wheelers are banned, how students will go their departments?
Even today
only a small section of students travel by 4-wheelers. Majority of students use
2-wheelers or go on-foot. Also, if other alternatives like shuttle-bus services
are started, the problem will not only be solved but it would be convenient
also for students who walk to their departments.
2. How
will our parents come to meet us in the University or how will we carry the
luggage?
First of all,
parents do not come daily and moreover not everyone’s parents come on
4-wheelers (on the contrary maximum are without 4-wheelers). If the University
has a good mechanism like shuttle-buses/e –rickshaws, it will benefit all
others. Even then if some unavoidable circumstances come, a special
provision/permission mechanism can be put into place.
3. Only
outsiders’ vehicle be banned?
The problem
being caused, as explained before, is not due to outsiders’ alone nor is the VIP/Gedi
route culture solely due to the outsiders, this nuisance-causing section
belongs to the university too. Also, it is impossible to segregate university
students from outsiders as even if in a car a single occupant is university
student, it gets entry in the campus. Despite attempts from many years,
university authorities have always failed to do so.
4. It
is safe for girls to travel in 4-wheelers, the ban will make conditions worse.
By accepting
the above argument we accept that the phenomenon of eve-teasing and sexual
harassment exists in the campus and as discussed above 4-wheelers serve as means
to perpetuate eve-teasing and hooliganism on campus. There is only a small no.
of girls who own 4-wheelers or have friends who own, rest all have 2-wheelers
or travel on foot. So, travelling in 4-wheelers is not the solution to the
problem but instead we should struggle and fight to end eve-teasing and
harassment.
5. For
those who can afford 4-wheelers, it is their personal freedom to use or not.
How can they be stopped?
No, it’s not
their personal issue. As already explained, the increasing no. of 4-wheelers is
not good for campus, this is a common/public concern. For a convenience or
interest of a small group of people, the interests of the rest can’t be compromised.
On the other side, if anybody can afford that doesn’t mean he\she has the right
to deplete resources. (Same way if anybody can afford to pay bill, doesn’t mean
that he/she should waste electricity or should leave the tap open to waste
water. There is already shortage of fuel-oil in India and maximum oil is
imported for which whole country has to pay price. So, in no way some
individuals have right to waste it. Resources must be used judicially.)
6. Some
very absurd arguments are also floated by other organisations like if
4-wheleers are banned, the University will turn into a school and by such
actions university will become backward?
A university
is recognised from its’ research and academic excellence and not from how many
cars are there on the campus! Further many top universities in India like IITs,
IISc, IISER etc. and a number of top class foreign universities have made their
campuses vehicle free. Have their level decreased or become schools or become
backward? Such arguments only expose the bankrupt understanding of these
organisations.
7. Why
many organisations are opposing the ban on 4-wheelers?
No other issue
raised by a students’ organisation have ever faced such opposition from other
students’ organisations. These organisations were also at forefront in efforts
to defame the protest against sexual harassment.
The students’
concerns or academic culture of University has little importance to them. For if
4-wheelers are banned, how will these organisations import ‘herds’ of outsiders
in the campus, who will participate in their car rallies displaying stickers,
how will the drugs, liquor and weapons will then be imported into the campus.
It’s quite clear their politics stands on these things only.
The students’ council instead of
being a platform for students’ representation has been made into a power
struggle. The dominant student politics which prevails in the campus, instead
of serving students’ interests, promotes the culture where students are asked
to enjoy the season of elections and ‘have fun’. This politics thrives on the
same pomp and show culture whereby in their efforts to woo votes of students, these
organisations organise trips, disc parties, movies, distribute drugs and
liquor. Need is to uproot this elitist culture and build a healthy democratic
culture where the purpose of education is achieved and students become
concerned about the important issues of the society. Friends, this time the
elections are not the contest between some organisations rather it’s a struggle
between two parallel models of educational campuses. On one hand, is the same
pomp and show campus which we have witnessed for successive years in PU and on
the other hand is the struggle for a democratic academic environment. Only
because of students’ pressure the authorities have been forced to conduct a
survey, a first of its kind, to decide on the issue. Let’s reject this money
and muscle power politics. Let’s stand together for a 4-wheeler free campus and
vote for the ban (with proper parking system at gates and alternative
transportation facilities).
STUDENTS FOR SOCIETY (SFS)
Contact: 9464142275 fb.com/studentsforsociety