Campus unrest over annual fest

CUTTACK: Student unrest has once again cropped up on the campus of Subhadra Mahatab Mahavidyalaya over chief guest invitee for the annual function. While a section of the student’s union wants to invite local legislature and Health Minister Pratap Jena, another group is opposing it vehemently.

Achyutananda Lenka, assistant general secretary of the students’ union, on Sunday threatened to go for self-immolation, if the Minister will attend the annual function. Similarly, general secretary Bijay Laxmi Nayak has demanded the college authorities to stop the function. She alleged that after pressurising her family members, some local politicians had forcefully taken her signature in support of Jena though she was against it.

In an ultimatum to Principal of the college; president of Governing Body; Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department, Collector and SP of Cuttack and DGP, Achyutananda stated that some local workers of the Minister have forced student union leaders to invite Jena, though they were wanting to invite an apolitical leader to the function. On the other hand, president of students’ union Choudhury Prasanjit Mahapatra and vice-president Ranjan Kumar Khuntia have submitted a petition to college authority stating that they would go for self-immolation if Jena does not attend the function as chief guest.

Contacted, Advisor of the students’ union and senior lecturer Gautam Patnaik said the college staff council in an emergency meeting has decided to go ahead with the scheduled programme. “We have also  forwarded the ultimatum of the student leaders to police for necessary action,” he said. Last year also, an unpleasant situation was created in connection with inviting a particular political leader to the annual function following which the administration influenced by the ruling party politicians had imposed prohibitory order on the campus.