The final decision of the University is expected to evolve by late Thursday evening
Bikram Sarkar
Assam University’s decision to hold a virtual convocation on 25th December this year has not gone down well among the student fraternity. A decision of holding first on 24th December, and then deferring to 25th December to accommodate the presence of Nitin Gadkari as who is slated to be the chief guest, was strongly condemned by All Cachar Karimganj Hailakandi Students Association (ACKHSA) on Wednesday. Ex-President of Assam University Student Union (AUSU) Biswaroop Bhattacharya greeted the Vice-Chancellor for coming down and talking with the protesting students in a democratic protest held by students for the first time in his tenure before retirement,
Biswaroop said that convocation is a very prestigious occasion for every student and a memorable moment of life, and to every student have paid Rs. 1500, so everyone should be physically present at the convocation and if not possible then to hold the same in a span of 2-3 days or else defer the date when everyone will be present.
Chief Advisor of ACKHSA the organisation that supported the demand of AU students, Rupam Nandi Purkayastha, said, if the convocation does not serve the interest of the students then it should be deferred or held in two to three days keeping all the students in mind, the authority is trying to discriminate between students, he echoed. The Vice-Chancellor of Assam University, Prof. Dilip Chandra Nath, meanwhile, had a talk with the protestors. A further meeting is slated with the organizing committee on 10th December. The students had sat in for a day-long protest with the demand to hold the convocation with the presence of all the students and nothing less would be acceptable to them.
It is to be noted that Assam University was scheduled to hold the convocation on 1st March 2020. With the lockdown extending it was decided to hold the convocation in virtual mode on 24th December. But there was the pressure from the students to hold the convocation in the physical mode as done by many other University. Now with the Minister confirming the date of his travel on 25th December, the University is left with no option but to adjust the dates accordingly. There is a large number of Christian students studying in Assam University which has raised eyebrows and dissent about the AU’s decision.
The final decision of the University is expected to evolve by late Thursday evening.
