Goons don’t go to class

Between guns, gangsters and politicos, if the academic community can bring back some sense of intellectual serenity to Lucknow University, that itself will be a job well done

Pradeep Kapoor Lucknow

During the best of times, Lucknow University, like many other universities in Uttar Pradesh, is a seething cauldron of political stand-offs, gang wars and violent fights to control territory and turf. Scions of feudal families of eastern and central UP find the campus a fertile playground to play out their warped perception of life and politics. Petty goondas and bullies, who take admission here, graduate to bigger crimes and a bigger role in politics.

So it was understandable that the decision of Lucknow University Vice Chancellor RP Singh, to close the university sine die after the students refused to contest the union elections (following the Lyngdoh Committee report) should trigger a howl of protest from the state government, politicians and some students. Singh’s detractors claim that he took the decision to save his own skin rather than for the greater good of the university.

Singh first ordered elections and then woke up to the Lyngdoh Committee report long after the electoral process had begun. The report forbids students above 25 to contest. The candidates have to be full-time students and they can’t spend more than Rs 5,000 as poll expenses. The committee wanted to prevent criminals and organised political parties from hijacking campus politics. Although Lyngdoh’s recommendations were progressive, they did not find favour with political parties and the vested interests that like to control the democratic space in the campuses.

RP Singh, who had been under pressure from the teaching community for his ad hoc style of functioning, tried to play to the galleries by claiming that he would not allow criminals to contest the elections. He alleged that the Samajwadi Party (SP) government was patronising some of the goons and interfering in the university. The SP was quick to react; it said the VC was acting at the behest of Governor TV Rajeshwar, known to be a bete noire of UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. 

This is not the first time that the university has been closed sine die. In 1972-73, during the infamous Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) revolt, the students burnt the university; the administration did not have any option but to close it indefinitely. Compared to those days, the LU campus was reasonably tranquil this time.

Singh, formerly the director of IIT, Kharagpur, declared that he would conduct the elections as per the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, and accepted by the Supreme Court of India. He said he will not allow criminals inside the campus. He got hostels vacated and released a list of 83 students with criminals records and suspended them.

Many of the listed students are known to be aligned with the SP. Some of the suspended students are facing charges of murder, dacoity and loot. Ironically, some have also been given gunners by the state government. Only after the inter ventions of the Allahabad High Court, these gunners were withdrawn.

Mulayam Singh Yadav has called the VC a “dictator” and his government has ordered an enquiry to investigate charges of corruption against him. The UP assembly passed a resolution against the VC.

Former VC of Lucknow University, Rooprekha Verma, told Hardnews  that Singh has usually surrendered to the goonda elements — so how can he be suddenly projected as a messiah fighting against the criminals. “He himself had opened the admission for PhD much after the last date to accommodate certain student leaders who wanted to contest the polls,” she informed.