We at this blog feel that the means of protest resorted to by some students against HNLU in the form of strike was not just foundationally bad, (as has been explained here) it was also a tactical disaster and a big blunder from a practical perspective. Why? Here's why -
Analysis of the state of affairs: before and after the strike
The solution that has come out after the strike for more than two weeks is an "assurance" by an Hon'ble HC judge, not the Chancellor even, that something would be done. The main demand of the removal of the VC has been continually ignored. This exact solution, or indeed a better solution, could have been obtained had the strike not been called in the first place.
The problem of "bad blood"
Now that the strike is over, bad blood is sure to be there at various levels in various transactions. There would be problems at all levels - the non teaching staff are pissed off (we had threatened them), the teachers are against us (we publicly abused them and they love their jobs too), the VC is against us. The students are divided up. The tread from now on is going to be very difficult.
No leverage for negotiation
The crucial task of keeping some leverage for bargaining has been lost which could have been maintained had the protest increased step by step (from dialogue to complaints to going to higher authorities to strike). There is nothing that the students can now do (or indeed threaten that they would do) since the last and the most extreme measure of strike has already been resorted to. So foolish!
The demands did not require a strike
The demands for which the strike was apparently called could have been met by other measures. These measures could have been those such as requests to the administration, stern letters to the administration, RTI applications, black band protests, communicating with the Chancellor, members of the EC and Governing Council etc.
Media intervention
Because of the intervention of the media, certain side effects have taken place - (1) people are not ready to talk to/ listen to the students because there was no confidentiality keeping in mind the sensitive nature of proceedings (2) the matter was spiced up and splashed around (3) this would have really bad effect on the reputation of the university and future recruitments.
RTIs and Enquiries
It is strange how being law students, we could have forgotten to resort to measures such as demanding information through the RTI for which the university could not have refused. We could have demanded enquiries into the matter by contacting the Chancellor and the EC.
Wrong Facts
A lot of facts that have been stated in the memo and the blog of the strikers are wrong. Allegations have been made without any semblance of corroboration and there is complete anarchy - everyone has his own word! Abuses were hurled, uncorroborated allegations were made and personal attacks were made.
Let's see how things go now...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
HNLU Strike: FAULTY FOUNDATIONS
The title says enough about what this post is going to be about. Here's why -
1) The strike was not a result of a vote. The strike did not have popular support of a majority of the student community. Many students had left for home in the duration of the strike and many are relenting to pressure created by the strike leaders. Their realities have been unravelled at this blog here, here, here and here.
2) The strike started as a result of the EC rejecting the students' representations. Post the declaration of the strike, the university constituted a Grievance Redressal Committee of faculty members. The strike leaders refused to talk or let other students talk to this committee about our issues. This step puts the university on a moral highground of sorts (in lack of another appropriate description). The university can always use this as a trump card against the students - they refused to hold dialogue.
3) After the above refusal, the VC declared a sine die since the students were not ready to talk and were not attending classes. He asked the students to vacate the premises. When the buses didn't ply between the hostel and the academic campus the next day, leaders of the strike went to the university building and refused to let any person in and out of campus by use of force. An employee, Dinesh Lalwani was threatened and almost beaten up. After this, a notice was sent to the collector from the university stating that students have sabotaged the university. This is another reason which would put the students on a lower moral plane and reduce our bargaining chips.
Due to these fundamental substantive errors in the foundation stones of the strike, the university can also very well justify not giving out an official response. Since the students refused to talk to the administration through the channels created, the university administration has not yet released an official response to the situation.
There could have been RTI applications, demands for independent enquiry commissions, demands of investigations of the administration etc. However, the only measure resorted to was the most extreme one, strike.
More issues
Issue #2. Abusive comments
This is not the most important issue to address but I address it now because it is so in-your-face. There were abuses and allegations made against the VC and faculty by a couple of anonymous readers. Some of them were so critical, personal and abusive that they could put people with normal sensibilities to shame.
The sad part is that there was no proof or source for any of them. Leave alone proof, the comment-maker didn’t even give a basis for the allegations. Why we are concerned about this? Not because of personal love for the VC, people, but because (1) they are outrageously defamatory, without any basis or proof whatsoever, and (2) the bad blood these might just create now.
Issue #3. Comparison with other law schools
The fact that comparisons have been made between HNLU and other law schools (especially NLSIU) throughout the course of this strike cannot be denied at all. When we also resorted to pointing out factual errors and facts about other law schools, the argument made was that just because something wrong also exists in other law schools, it doesn’t mean that we should not protest. There are 3 responses to this –
1) The fact that other law schools also face these problems just shows that we are overreacting. There are other fraternal universities which are peacefully protesting against these very things for which we are striking and taking away from the stability and integrity of the college.
2) That even if these matters are very pressing, the issue of recruitments is way more pressing. If something prejudices that, then there should be some very very pressing reasons for going ahead with that.
3) Comparisons with other law schools should be drawn at the time they were 5-6 years old and not as of today.
This is not the most important issue to address but I address it now because it is so in-your-face. There were abuses and allegations made against the VC and faculty by a couple of anonymous readers. Some of them were so critical, personal and abusive that they could put people with normal sensibilities to shame.
The sad part is that there was no proof or source for any of them. Leave alone proof, the comment-maker didn’t even give a basis for the allegations. Why we are concerned about this? Not because of personal love for the VC, people, but because (1) they are outrageously defamatory, without any basis or proof whatsoever, and (2) the bad blood these might just create now.
Issue #3. Comparison with other law schools
The fact that comparisons have been made between HNLU and other law schools (especially NLSIU) throughout the course of this strike cannot be denied at all. When we also resorted to pointing out factual errors and facts about other law schools, the argument made was that just because something wrong also exists in other law schools, it doesn’t mean that we should not protest. There are 3 responses to this –
1) The fact that other law schools also face these problems just shows that we are overreacting. There are other fraternal universities which are peacefully protesting against these very things for which we are striking and taking away from the stability and integrity of the college.
2) That even if these matters are very pressing, the issue of recruitments is way more pressing. If something prejudices that, then there should be some very very pressing reasons for going ahead with that.
3) Comparisons with other law schools should be drawn at the time they were 5-6 years old and not as of today.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Issue #1. The blog-writers
The course of writing this blog has been a great learning experience for us. Abuses have been hurled at us and questions have been raised about us. We want to explain a few things here.
WHAT WE WANTED TO ACHIEVE
There was only one objective to this blog - to bring out some realities (fact) and some perceptions (our opinions to the fore). The realities about the strikers and their motives behind the strike, our opinions of how things should have been done and could have easily been done, how we feel that recruitment and studies are the most important things that should be done in HNLU at all costs, and emphasizing the fact that dialogue and enquiries should have been the way to go instead of the big strategic disaster of this strike.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO NOW
We now want to highlight finally our opinion on what has happened, keep our readers updated on how things are going and provide constructive ideas in our opinion on how things can be done.
WHY WE'RE ANONYMOUS
The reasons are obvious. We are not in a situation to bear the brunt of the anger of the students who were involved in the strike against us. We know that considering the stance that we have taken, we have probably angered some sections of the students who have a nuisance value. We have to live with them for a few years to come and interact with them in the course of our careers (if we get jobs after all this drama, that is!).
ABUSES AND ALLEGATIONS
Abuses do not bother us. We're going to do our job.
WHAT WE WANTED TO ACHIEVE
There was only one objective to this blog - to bring out some realities (fact) and some perceptions (our opinions to the fore). The realities about the strikers and their motives behind the strike, our opinions of how things should have been done and could have easily been done, how we feel that recruitment and studies are the most important things that should be done in HNLU at all costs, and emphasizing the fact that dialogue and enquiries should have been the way to go instead of the big strategic disaster of this strike.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO NOW
We now want to highlight finally our opinion on what has happened, keep our readers updated on how things are going and provide constructive ideas in our opinion on how things can be done.
WHY WE'RE ANONYMOUS
The reasons are obvious. We are not in a situation to bear the brunt of the anger of the students who were involved in the strike against us. We know that considering the stance that we have taken, we have probably angered some sections of the students who have a nuisance value. We have to live with them for a few years to come and interact with them in the course of our careers (if we get jobs after all this drama, that is!).
ABUSES AND ALLEGATIONS
Abuses do not bother us. We're going to do our job.
STRIKE CALLED OFF
Dear Readers,
Thank you very much for having read and discussed the state of affairs at HNLU.
STRIKE STATUS
It is off guys. Officially off. Classes have resumed as usual and things are normal.
There are other places where an honest reasonable and constructive discussion on the present scenario is going on as well, and places where it is not so reasonable (strictly in our opinion). The strike has been called off. We heave a sigh of relief as classes have resumed normally. There are many concerns to be addressed and over the course of the next few posts, we would try to address them.
Thank you very much for having read and discussed the state of affairs at HNLU.
STRIKE STATUS
It is off guys. Officially off. Classes have resumed as usual and things are normal.
There are other places where an honest reasonable and constructive discussion on the present scenario is going on as well, and places where it is not so reasonable (strictly in our opinion). The strike has been called off. We heave a sigh of relief as classes have resumed normally. There are many concerns to be addressed and over the course of the next few posts, we would try to address them.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Updates and replies
Thank you to all the readers of this blog - equally, to those of you who abuse and allege, and those of your who ask and enquire. A lot of comments have been answered in the comments sections as well. Do read, please, the comments below all posts as well.
First, answering some of the questions that were asked by an anonymous reader of this blog -
1) Current status of the strike: The "movement" is falling and diluting. Reason is taking fore and relentless rigidity is giving way to alternative talk. The non teaching employees of the university held a press conference against the students!! This college is MAD!
2) Exact numbers in the strike and those outside: Rest assured, there are no more than between a quarter and a third of the total number of students on strike.
3) VC's status: He had declared a sine die. He obviously relented to the pressure and allowed for facilities to be used since everyone was not ready to comply with the sine die order. Some employees came to the striking students to ask them if they would be ready to resume classes from Monday. The striking students refused to do so. Hence the sine die order stands.
4) Status of the EC: The VC had allowed the students to make a representation before the EC. The EC heard the students and said that a lot of claims being made were baseless. That's when and how the strike started. It is actually against the EC. However, we must note that a lot of big names sit on the EC and a bad word from them about students would be fatal to the already ailing recruitment situation. The recession adds the icing to the cake. The way to deal with the EC would have been dialogue. Not strike.
5) Status of Chancellor: Last we heard, the Chancellor, CJ of Chhattisgarh had refused to even LISTEN to any demands until the strike was called off and classes resumed. This statement was also covered by the local media. Instead of taking him into confidence, we continued the strike!
Next we move on to Our opinion and once again, trying to tell you all what we at this blog think
Our basic assumption is that the VC is a non-issue. His staying or going is not our concern at all! We are saying that let there be classes. Let there be recruitments. In the meanwhile, also there should be dialogue and even a transparent process through an enquiry or something like that. The choices we had were two -
first option was, to let there be dialogue, to apply pressure for our complaints, at the same time to be mature and put our demands across to the higher officials and be a responsible, vibrant student community which believes in transparency and accountability
the other option was, strike - to gather publicity of the second class media, to offend higher authorities, to piss everyone off in the administration and prejudicing the academic year and careers of many.
Due to pressures of a select group of students, we chose, much to our greatest detriment, the latter.
Next, coming to the abusive readers who had things to say -
You guys have said nothing in denial to what has been mentioned about the strike here except hurling abuses. The leaders of the strike have been fined in the past for using violence on other students, for cheating in exams and stuff like that and there seems to be a causal connection between the strike and the fines. The facts such as number of exchange programmes at NLSIU (which are 18 in the memo of the strike and actually, 4) are wrong. The points about the financing of the strike have not been denied. That just goes to show how immature you are. Yes, you can abuse us one more time. :)
John Lennon said it all for us - All we are saying, give peace a chance...
First, answering some of the questions that were asked by an anonymous reader of this blog -
1) Current status of the strike: The "movement" is falling and diluting. Reason is taking fore and relentless rigidity is giving way to alternative talk. The non teaching employees of the university held a press conference against the students!! This college is MAD!
2) Exact numbers in the strike and those outside: Rest assured, there are no more than between a quarter and a third of the total number of students on strike.
3) VC's status: He had declared a sine die. He obviously relented to the pressure and allowed for facilities to be used since everyone was not ready to comply with the sine die order. Some employees came to the striking students to ask them if they would be ready to resume classes from Monday. The striking students refused to do so. Hence the sine die order stands.
4) Status of the EC: The VC had allowed the students to make a representation before the EC. The EC heard the students and said that a lot of claims being made were baseless. That's when and how the strike started. It is actually against the EC. However, we must note that a lot of big names sit on the EC and a bad word from them about students would be fatal to the already ailing recruitment situation. The recession adds the icing to the cake. The way to deal with the EC would have been dialogue. Not strike.
5) Status of Chancellor: Last we heard, the Chancellor, CJ of Chhattisgarh had refused to even LISTEN to any demands until the strike was called off and classes resumed. This statement was also covered by the local media. Instead of taking him into confidence, we continued the strike!
Next we move on to Our opinion and once again, trying to tell you all what we at this blog think
Our basic assumption is that the VC is a non-issue. His staying or going is not our concern at all! We are saying that let there be classes. Let there be recruitments. In the meanwhile, also there should be dialogue and even a transparent process through an enquiry or something like that. The choices we had were two -
first option was, to let there be dialogue, to apply pressure for our complaints, at the same time to be mature and put our demands across to the higher officials and be a responsible, vibrant student community which believes in transparency and accountability
the other option was, strike - to gather publicity of the second class media, to offend higher authorities, to piss everyone off in the administration and prejudicing the academic year and careers of many.
Due to pressures of a select group of students, we chose, much to our greatest detriment, the latter.
Next, coming to the abusive readers who had things to say -
You guys have said nothing in denial to what has been mentioned about the strike here except hurling abuses. The leaders of the strike have been fined in the past for using violence on other students, for cheating in exams and stuff like that and there seems to be a causal connection between the strike and the fines. The facts such as number of exchange programmes at NLSIU (which are 18 in the memo of the strike and actually, 4) are wrong. The points about the financing of the strike have not been denied. That just goes to show how immature you are. Yes, you can abuse us one more time. :)
John Lennon said it all for us - All we are saying, give peace a chance...
Sunday, March 22, 2009
For those who want a point by point rebuttal!
Read the previous post as a reply to some of the things that are being raised by the readers of this blog. Thank you to all of you. Let's move on now to an answer to some of the things raised in the memo and through the questions of some concerned people raised in the comments sections of this blog.
NEW BUILDING
The building is taking long because of some very sad state of affairs, a situation for which the VC cannot be held responsible, except as a scapegoat of circumstances. According to what we students know, the building project had been started by the pre-Shrivastava regime. In that regime, the "land" allocated by the govt. for the building was a POND, a stretch of water. After much struggle, the location of the allocated land was changed. The VC might have had his personal achievements to have an indelible name but he was the one who got "land" instead of "water" to build the building. Next, the contractors, Nagarjuna Construction Co. which are based in Hyderabad had been booked for the construction by the pre-Shrivastava regime. Obviously, the money of the university is getting siphoned in the process of maintaining the cost of that construction and every now and then, we hear how there are efforts to renegotiate parts of the contract to make the project feasible. DESPITE ALL OF THAT, the building has already been constructed, many fixtures are in place, painting has been done and only about 25% of the job is left before moving in. That's what the update on the building is. Added to this was the whole compulsion by a certain ex-EC member who insisted on getting a place for his friend Mr. Deshpande from Bombay as Engineer (as stated in his statement to a local newspaper). This gentleman used to come from Bombay, stay at the Hotel Babylon and apparently supervised the work. That's what the university is struggling with as well. I don't know how all the blame can be put on Shrivastava for this!! If anything, now Deshpande is no more the engineer and Nagarjuna Co. is in threat of losing part of its contract to the PWD - which is why this strike comes about in the first place!
REGISTRAR AND FACULTY
Posts have been duly advertised. HNLU is perhaps the ONLY national law school which has through the EC, already, in principle, agreed to apply the 6th Pay Commission salaries for teachers. Every now and then, posts are advertised. This is the only university which provides for accomodation and other facilities for teachers. Then if people do not apply because they do not want to stay in Raipur, it is hardly Shrivastava's fault. If it is, the only solution he has is to shift HNLU to Bombay or someplace! If you want more info on the dates of advertisements etc, check with the administration. We don't know all of that.
HOSTELS AND MESS
As far as the campus is concerned, there is not enough room in the present building to house the hostels. The hostels were earlier closer to the college but now they are not because the houseowners refused to renew the lease because they thought the students were rowdy and made lot of noise. The landowners were freaked out. Hence the new hostels. There have been instances such as one student who was doped out "walked" from a balcony of the 6th floor straight to the Mother Earth's bosom.
As far as the mess arrangements are concerned, my personal opinion is such that if a mess is there, and it provides meals at reasonable prescribed timings, and transport is provided by the university to commute between the hostel and the mess, it is fine. Every single educational institution in this country has a mess which has food during prescribed hours. After that if anyone is hungry, MK Shrivastava is not asking them to stay hungry. They can go out and get food to eat!
The administration had earlier housed the mess in the hostels itself from where there were reports of stealing and maladministration and it was at these incidents that the mess was shifted in the first place.
Solutions that MK Shrivastava could have provided here? Any guesses? Maybe stayed in the hostels late at night to ensure that people don't disturb landowners? Maybe that would have raised other issues of breach of privacy of students and Big Brother behaviour. What are we asking for here?
If after all of this, the strike is for lack of cleanliness, then god help us!! Keep raising questions though! And HEAR THE OTHER SIDE TOO. After all, they are asking us to "revive" HNLU by shutting it down! How ironical.
Peace!
NEW BUILDING
The building is taking long because of some very sad state of affairs, a situation for which the VC cannot be held responsible, except as a scapegoat of circumstances. According to what we students know, the building project had been started by the pre-Shrivastava regime. In that regime, the "land" allocated by the govt. for the building was a POND, a stretch of water. After much struggle, the location of the allocated land was changed. The VC might have had his personal achievements to have an indelible name but he was the one who got "land" instead of "water" to build the building. Next, the contractors, Nagarjuna Construction Co. which are based in Hyderabad had been booked for the construction by the pre-Shrivastava regime. Obviously, the money of the university is getting siphoned in the process of maintaining the cost of that construction and every now and then, we hear how there are efforts to renegotiate parts of the contract to make the project feasible. DESPITE ALL OF THAT, the building has already been constructed, many fixtures are in place, painting has been done and only about 25% of the job is left before moving in. That's what the update on the building is. Added to this was the whole compulsion by a certain ex-EC member who insisted on getting a place for his friend Mr. Deshpande from Bombay as Engineer (as stated in his statement to a local newspaper). This gentleman used to come from Bombay, stay at the Hotel Babylon and apparently supervised the work. That's what the university is struggling with as well. I don't know how all the blame can be put on Shrivastava for this!! If anything, now Deshpande is no more the engineer and Nagarjuna Co. is in threat of losing part of its contract to the PWD - which is why this strike comes about in the first place!
REGISTRAR AND FACULTY
Posts have been duly advertised. HNLU is perhaps the ONLY national law school which has through the EC, already, in principle, agreed to apply the 6th Pay Commission salaries for teachers. Every now and then, posts are advertised. This is the only university which provides for accomodation and other facilities for teachers. Then if people do not apply because they do not want to stay in Raipur, it is hardly Shrivastava's fault. If it is, the only solution he has is to shift HNLU to Bombay or someplace! If you want more info on the dates of advertisements etc, check with the administration. We don't know all of that.
HOSTELS AND MESS
As far as the campus is concerned, there is not enough room in the present building to house the hostels. The hostels were earlier closer to the college but now they are not because the houseowners refused to renew the lease because they thought the students were rowdy and made lot of noise. The landowners were freaked out. Hence the new hostels. There have been instances such as one student who was doped out "walked" from a balcony of the 6th floor straight to the Mother Earth's bosom.
As far as the mess arrangements are concerned, my personal opinion is such that if a mess is there, and it provides meals at reasonable prescribed timings, and transport is provided by the university to commute between the hostel and the mess, it is fine. Every single educational institution in this country has a mess which has food during prescribed hours. After that if anyone is hungry, MK Shrivastava is not asking them to stay hungry. They can go out and get food to eat!
The administration had earlier housed the mess in the hostels itself from where there were reports of stealing and maladministration and it was at these incidents that the mess was shifted in the first place.
Solutions that MK Shrivastava could have provided here? Any guesses? Maybe stayed in the hostels late at night to ensure that people don't disturb landowners? Maybe that would have raised other issues of breach of privacy of students and Big Brother behaviour. What are we asking for here?
If after all of this, the strike is for lack of cleanliness, then god help us!! Keep raising questions though! And HEAR THE OTHER SIDE TOO. After all, they are asking us to "revive" HNLU by shutting it down! How ironical.
Peace!
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