'Political parties behind unrest on Utkal campus'

BHUBANESWAR: The struggle of political parties to dominate the campus ahead of the forthcoming students' union elections in October has led to the latest unrest at Utkal University, insiders have said.
On Monday, the faculty members, non-teaching employees and students of the varsity took out a joint peace rally to send out the message that there was no infighting among them.
"All stakeholders of the university are together and want peace on the campus. It is outsiders who are trying to create trouble here," vice-chancellor Ashok Das said. But contrary to the varsity authorities' articulation, the varsity fraternity's division on political lines is a key factor behind the violence on Friday and Saturday that left seven injured, insiders said.
The latest round of tension began with the selection of Prithviraj Dalabehera, an ABVP leader previously active in student politics in Nayagarh district, for admission in commerce and library science departments.
Sensing that he may emerge as a potential rival, members of the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) protested.
BCJD got sufficient ammunition for this after it came to light that Dalabehera had allegedly "forged" a caste certificate last year and failed to secure admission in Utkal in the scheduled caste category. "How can someone with criminal antecedents get admission?" said Rajesh Raj Swain, the outgoing president of the students' union.
Dalabehera topped the entrance examinations of the post-graduate course in commerce as well as library and information science departments in the general category this year. "It is unbelievable that a student who failed to get a reserved seat can perform so well to top the entrance for general category. Some in the university are extending him undue favours for political gains," said a senior faculty member.
Addressing a news conference here on Monday, ABVP leader Tanmay Das said the varsity administration had been working at the behest of the BJD-led government in the state and was biased against them. He demanded that the varsity allow Dalabehera to take admission since he had qualified the entrance test, or else they would move court.
After a prolonged dominance of the Congress-backed National Students' Union of India (NSUI) in Utkal, BCJD wrested control at the university last year. NSUI members who were active on the campus had joined BCJD en masse ahead of the students' elections then. While NSUI does not seem to be in a position to give a fight to BCJD this time, ABVP has been trying to exert its dominance before this year's student polls. BJP being in power at the Centre has bolstered their aspirations. A section of faculty members are with the ABVP.
Conceding that "politicization" was a major reason behind the violence, university teachers' association president Santosh Tripathy said, "Most students want peace and an atmosphere conducive to academics. The political competition should not supersede academic interests."
L N Mishra, a former vice-chancellor of the university, said it would be wrong to pass the entire blame to political parties. "Political parties have always tried to dominate the campus. It is, however, for the varsity authorities to take firm decisions and ensure peace on the campus. Unfortunately, that is not happening," he said.
The university had held students' polls in 2014 after aborting it for two years due to violence on the campus in 2012 and 2013.