Disha Students’ Organization protested against the imposition of a ₹1 lakh bond on students contesting DUSU elections, and the banning of printed materials — pamphlets, posters — for canvassing.
Disha has been campaigning among the students against the anti-student DUSU regulations, imposed upon common students under the pretense of preventing defacement. As part of this campaign, a protest was organized today outside the Dean’s office.
The protest started with fervent sloganeering against the DU administration. Following this, Yogesh from Disha exposed the anti-student character of the DU administration. From intensified attempts to fortify the campus with police barricades, to preventing students from organizing even study circles, the DU administration — under the guidance of the fascist Modi government — is constantly working to shackle campus democracy. The new regulations are part of this agenda. Intended to ultimately make DUSU effectively dysfunctional, these regulations basically discourage common students from contesting DUSU elections, indirectly stamping the body of DUSU as a forum reserved for money–muscle power. Moreover, by banning the use of printed pamphlets and posters, the DU administration has aimed to disarm common students of their political tools to carry out their political messages to the student community and the wider masses.
Later, a team from Disha went to submit a memorandum to the Chief Election Officer, demanding the revocation of these anti-student regulations. Meanwhile, the protest continued. Himanshu described the constantly decreasing democratic space on campus. Keshaw elaborated on the wider aims of the Sangh Parivar to crush the democratic rights of the working masses, which is reflected in the attack on the democratic rights of students as well. Hence, students must wage a relentless struggle against the fascist Modi government to secure and strengthen their democratic rights. During the protest, the cultural team of Disha sang revolutionary songs such as Wo Sab Kuch Karne Ko Taiyyar and Aa Re Naujawan.
Instead of the Chief Election Officer, the DU administration arranged a meeting with the Dean, who remained consistently silent on the anti-student character of these regulations, and on the question of how the administration could unilaterally decide for the democratic forum of students.
The protest ended with a resolve to spread awareness about the reality of these anti-student DUSU regulations among students, and to organize common students around the demand to strengthen campus democracy.
