Cotton University students protest, seek resumption of offline class
Representative imageGUWAHATI: Cotton University (CU) students staged demonstration outside its campus in Guwahati on Thursday, demanding resumption of offline classes for all and reopening of hostels, citing violation of social distancing during BTC polls in Assam.
The protesting students said high profile leaders were addressing mammoth rallies in poll-bound areas under the BTC Council where Covid protocols had gone for a toss. It was a spontaneous protest, where students demanded immediate resumption of offline classes.
“Practical classes, which cannot be done online, have started for undergraduate and higher secondary students in Cotton University. But many students are still at home since hostels are yet to reopen. Thus, they are going to miss out,” said Akshayat Das, a hostel boarder of CU from Sadiya in upper Assam’s Tinsukia district, who is now staying in a rented house. “When the BTC election campaign can go on full swing, why so much hesitation in reopening hostels?” he asked.
Even as state education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said hostels of educational institutions in Assam will open from December 15 for final year students, the protesting students are worried whether conditions will be conducive for accommodation in CU hostels from mid-December. Himanta, however, has said universities have the autonomy to take their own decisions.
The protesting students have been demanding a thorough cleanliness of the hostel campus, as many of the returnees from other states were put in CU hostels during the lockdown. Many of these returnees later tested positive for Covid.
Sources in CU said after the university hostels were allowed to be used by the returnees, several hostel rooms were found damaged. CU is yet to announce a date for reopening the hostels.
"We are yet to see the preparedness from the CU authority to bring back the conducive atmosphere in the university hostels. University authority is not giving any assurance to us on hostel reopening, citing lack of clear cut written directive from government authorities or administration," said Rahul Gupta, post-graduate third semester student of CU.
He said that the students fraternity is concerned about the students who are going to appear in class 12 boards from the university. "Due to the pandemic situation, the class 11 students automatically got promoted to class 12 early this year. We are more worried about their future. How will they directly appear in a major exam like class 12 boards without doing offline classes for months," said Gupta.
The protesting students said high profile leaders were addressing mammoth rallies in poll-bound areas under the BTC Council where Covid protocols had gone for a toss. It was a spontaneous protest, where students demanded immediate resumption of offline classes.
“Practical classes, which cannot be done online, have started for undergraduate and higher secondary students in Cotton University. But many students are still at home since hostels are yet to reopen. Thus, they are going to miss out,” said Akshayat Das, a hostel boarder of CU from Sadiya in upper Assam’s Tinsukia district, who is now staying in a rented house. “When the BTC election campaign can go on full swing, why so much hesitation in reopening hostels?” he asked.
Even as state education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said hostels of educational institutions in Assam will open from December 15 for final year students, the protesting students are worried whether conditions will be conducive for accommodation in CU hostels from mid-December. Himanta, however, has said universities have the autonomy to take their own decisions.
The protesting students have been demanding a thorough cleanliness of the hostel campus, as many of the returnees from other states were put in CU hostels during the lockdown. Many of these returnees later tested positive for Covid.
Sources in CU said after the university hostels were allowed to be used by the returnees, several hostel rooms were found damaged. CU is yet to announce a date for reopening the hostels.
"We are yet to see the preparedness from the CU authority to bring back the conducive atmosphere in the university hostels. University authority is not giving any assurance to us on hostel reopening, citing lack of clear cut written directive from government authorities or administration," said Rahul Gupta, post-graduate third semester student of CU.
He said that the students fraternity is concerned about the students who are going to appear in class 12 boards from the university. "Due to the pandemic situation, the class 11 students automatically got promoted to class 12 early this year. We are more worried about their future. How will they directly appear in a major exam like class 12 boards without doing offline classes for months," said Gupta.
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