The Himachal Pradesh state secretariat of the Communist Party of India (M) has alleged that ruing party is interfering in the work of Himachal Pradesh University and strongly condemned the BJP for meddling in the affairs of the Himachal Pradesh University. It is shocking revelation that despite the declaration of results of SCA elections of HPU a month ago, (elections took place on 20th August.) the university has not allowed the swearing in ceremony of the elected office bearers. This shows the anti-democratic and fascist face of the BJP and its nominee the new Vice-Chancellor on the HPU campus.

The CPIM has stated, it is an irony that the student representatives who have won with the ever highest votes and margins (P-536, VP-673, S-676, JS-585…these are the margins of victory) are not being allowed to function. This despotic attack is encroachment and infringement on the overwhelming democratic voice of the student’s community.

The CPI (M) has urged the BJP to understand that the university stands for the student’s community and not to serve the interests of the respective ruling party. The interference over the HPU affairs can be gauged from the fact that the date of swearing in ceremony was earlier announced on 6th September, but due to BJP’s intervention has been cancelled.

The party would like to remind the BJP & HPU authorities that the smooth functioning of the elected students union (SCA) is mandatory under the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) guidelines for representative participation of the students and the committee report constituted by the Hon’ble Supreme Court with respect to elections in student bodies.

The quotation from report amply states, quote “The recommendation of the Committee in this regard is thus: 6.1.1 Universities and colleges across the country must ordinarily conduct elections for the appointment of students to student representative bodies. These elections may be conducted in the manner prescribed herein, conforms to the standards prescribed herein”. The higher grading on the NAAC is also based on the quality of participation of students in their representative bodies’ i.e the SCA. However the BJP is hell bent to undermine it and is instead working against the wishes of the students’ community.

The party has stated both the BJP and the incumbent VC has unleashed a campaign against the students’ community and has indicted them of violence. This is made a pretext of rampant apathy towards them. They have not been made representatives in various committees formed for ‘n’ number of functions in the HPU. Even the Newsletter of the HPU does not speak about the students’ community, not even an iota of word. Though this is a hard fact that just in the garb of indicting them on violence and so on the hard earned reputation of massive output of students in the form of grabbing 149 fellowships of JRF has been brushed under the carpet by the connived forces of the BJP and the HPU VC. This is not something that has to be overlooked as its only after the Jawahar Lal University, Delhi that the HPU stands 2nd in JRF qualifiers.

The party has asked the BJP to immediately stop its sinister designs on the HPU campus and ensure that the democratic environ prospers and blooms independently.