There’s no mistaking the election fever at Panjab University and at the many colleges around town. Rule or no rule, posters are everywhere.
The aim of the Lyngdoh guidelines is to keep campus elections simple and low-cost – but try telling that to student political parties. For instance, the guidelines say all posters should be handmade and posters should be put up only at designated places. The idea is that every corner of the campus will not be defaced.
A visitor to the Panjab University campus these days will every available wall covered in posters, posters nailed to trees, posters pasted on vehicles, posters on the traffic lights. There are even posters in the toilets. It was the same last year and the year before that. The university and colleges have earmarked places on campus for putting up posters and the Dean of Student Welfare has addressed the student organisations in person to spell out the guidelines – but it is all ‘in one ear and out the other’. In fact, the authorites turn a blind eye to the blatant violations.
Prof. A.S. Ahluwalia thinks that within the campus the situation is under control. He said that he has ordered removal of posters from unauthorized places and fined the violating parties 1000 rupees.
Ahluwalia says it is the UT Administration’s job to check defacement outside the campus and said that UT administration is doing their job.
But if violation of norms is noticeable on PU campus, it is flagrant throughout the city. Posters can even be seen along national highways.
Des Raj Singh , SP City, says that police are removing posters from different parts of the city and police are also stopping cars in the vicinity of the university to search for weapons. He said the UT Police are prepared to implement the Lyngdoh guidelines strictly and he believes that the University is also serious about it.
It is true that many posters have been removed from the PU campus and from the sectors the University. But it is as though the University authorities and the police were trying to tackle an avalance with teaspoons. In Sector 15 near the light point and in the market posters are pasted all over on signboards.
Related posts:
- Student parties introducing themselves via help desks in PU
- HPU student body polls may be cancelled: Bajpai
- Student leader hurt in campus violence in DAV Chandigarh
- Student parties set up help desks for freshers in PU
- 4 held for shooting PU Chandigarh student leader
- DAV shies away from student elections
- Indian student shot dead near Boston University campus in US
- Girls ornamental at best in PU student politics
- PU student senate elections are due in September
- Student body leaders doing all to woo voters
