This post is all thanks to Bhavin Patel, a name well known in national law schools in the country, an ex-student of NLS Bangalore, a person looked up to as a source of inspiration; who, standing up to his stature has called on a debate for the larger cause of legal education in India by publicizing the "cause" of the "student community" of HNLU; but who is also fair, saying he is not sure how justified these causes are. Thanks Bhavin Sir. I also thank all the people from other law schools, present and past, for taking interest on behalf of us, the less vocal, the less heard students of HNLU.
This post comes as a reply to some concerned students/alumni of some of our fraternal National Law Universities.
Red, an ex student of the NLSIU, Bangalore raised a few queries regarding the legitimacy of this blog and alleged us as "casting aspersions". Fair enough Sir. You deserve some answers.
I would move on to a point by point rebuttal of the "dominant memorandum" as you scroll down. But let's get some things straight here. I'm assuming from your posts on Bhavin's blog that you are an ex-NLSite. Well, that's the reason why you write as you do! Here at HNLU, we do not work on the vote system. Suffice to say here that the strike was NOT a popular vote decision. Indeed that's the reason why only some 100-120 of the total strength are in Raipur for the strike in the first place. If it were to be a popular decision, others would have been on this strike too! Clearly, that's not the case. Only the strike leaders, some of their henchmen are here. And some unfortunates like us are on the campus since the situation is not clear and very volatile.
Unfortuantely, Red, you seem to have missed a larger point. You want a point by point rebuttal. You don't want a dialogue. You miss a larger point. The idea of this blog was not to defend the VC from the charges. The idea of this blog is also not to cast all responsibility on the VC. The idea of this blog was merely to point out how the "common student" (as opposed to the strike leaders) suffers in this battle for power and how there's a need to engage in dialogue instead of a strike which prejudices the careers of many. This is not a VC-defend or a VC-bashup blog. This is a blog to get some hard realities outside the campus of HNLU and to urge everyone to see to it that the careers of the ordinary HNLUite is not put to the gallows. There's a need to get our demands met and MORE IMPORTANTLY, to move on to do what we've come here to do - study!!
Moving on to your point about "casting aspersions". It is only understandable how you are identifying with the seemingly popular cause here, Sir, we here are not trying to cast aspersions upon the strike leaders. We are merely putting a point across. That there is a lack of facilities in college is a point taken; that washrooms are not always clean and the new building is in a mess of badly drafted contracts is a point taken - a need for a strike as a solution for these things, or even a demand removal of the VC being presented by the apparent "student community is plain unreasonable. And that I say not merely because the solution is just plain impractical and unachievable (because until the strike is called off, things can't move on) but also because the solution is actually not an answer to the problems that are being raised by these very students!
I will deal with a point by point rebuttal as you wanted in my next post.
Coming back to Bhavin Sir - We all look up to you, Sir, and thank you for initiating the larger debate. You are a man of power Sir, your words matter to students and ex students, your friends like Red and others who anonymously post for the concerns which your fraternal college is going through. Your words matter, and hence maybe, you should be a little more careful with them. Before blogging about the scene at HNLU, it might have been a good idea to verify some facts. You got the spirit of the striking students wrong Sir. And you got the date of the commencement of the strike wrong. It was not 3rd March, Sir.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Who's financing the strike
A crucial part of any political movement, just as the strike by some students in HNLU is a very important part of the success of the success of the movement. Let's check out where the money is coming from and why the strike is based on non-issues such as the VC and not directed at the real issues which concern the students. Afterall, the suppliers of money would certainly lead to ideological compulsions for the apparently pristine strike.
So let's get down to the basics. The leaders of this strike are in regular touch with the contractors of the new building for HNLU. They are seen around quite publicly with the contractors and their agents, who obviously, are a good source of some free beer which is cause enough for soul-selling. Let's get down to the bottom of this. The contractors and the university administration have been a tiff for some time now and renegotiation of contracts have been a much talked about issue in the corridoors and offices at HNLU alike. The contractors have a grudge against the administration because their illegitimate demands are not being met by the university and due to misdemeanours, there was talk of a part of the contract to be shifted (on the basis of nonperformace by contractors) to some other agents (probably PWD).
These contractors had a grudge which they have soul-selling 23-24 year olds in the college to live through.
There was a statement by a former member of the Executive Council who has recently resigned from the EC in the local newspaper the other day. This is not some inside information but there for everyone to see for themselves. The former EC member alleged that he had resigned from the EC because his friend, Shri Deshpande, had been removed from the Engineer's position. Let's analyse this. The concerned ex-engineer is sitting in Bombay and used to come to Raipur allegedly in the name of completion of the project of construction and used to stay at Babylon (the most expensive hotel in Raipur). He used to extract money just to sign papers. Hence he was removed after the siphoning of college funds had been misdirected long enough. Then obviously the grudge of this ex member of the EC has come to the aid of the cause of removal of the VC.
These are the sources of funding of the strike. These are the immoral causes with which the student community is associating itself with. The money coming through corrupt sources is dirty, the causes being used for the strike are personal grudges and hence dirty - the strike is totally UNWORTHY of any support. But the students who have nuisance value in the university are at the helm of affairs and hence things are working they way they are!
So let's get down to the basics. The leaders of this strike are in regular touch with the contractors of the new building for HNLU. They are seen around quite publicly with the contractors and their agents, who obviously, are a good source of some free beer which is cause enough for soul-selling. Let's get down to the bottom of this. The contractors and the university administration have been a tiff for some time now and renegotiation of contracts have been a much talked about issue in the corridoors and offices at HNLU alike. The contractors have a grudge against the administration because their illegitimate demands are not being met by the university and due to misdemeanours, there was talk of a part of the contract to be shifted (on the basis of nonperformace by contractors) to some other agents (probably PWD).
These contractors had a grudge which they have soul-selling 23-24 year olds in the college to live through.
There was a statement by a former member of the Executive Council who has recently resigned from the EC in the local newspaper the other day. This is not some inside information but there for everyone to see for themselves. The former EC member alleged that he had resigned from the EC because his friend, Shri Deshpande, had been removed from the Engineer's position. Let's analyse this. The concerned ex-engineer is sitting in Bombay and used to come to Raipur allegedly in the name of completion of the project of construction and used to stay at Babylon (the most expensive hotel in Raipur). He used to extract money just to sign papers. Hence he was removed after the siphoning of college funds had been misdirected long enough. Then obviously the grudge of this ex member of the EC has come to the aid of the cause of removal of the VC.
These are the sources of funding of the strike. These are the immoral causes with which the student community is associating itself with. The money coming through corrupt sources is dirty, the causes being used for the strike are personal grudges and hence dirty - the strike is totally UNWORTHY of any support. But the students who have nuisance value in the university are at the helm of affairs and hence things are working they way they are!
Why a strike is bad - 2
Continuing from the post below, let us understand further some issues that are relevant.
MOTIVATION FOR THE STRIKE
Personal grudges of students like Arya Tripathi who had been fined some time back for being violent (she hit a senior with a shoe), Maula Hasan who cheated in exam and was fined etc. are the main reasons that are being used as fuel for the fire of this strike. Instead of what these students might dream up as "real issues" these little things are coming across as the chief reasons for the strike. Earlier as well, students like Bikramaditya Ghosh, Aditya Singh and others have gone on hunger strike and pressure tactics to make sure a druggie is promoted to the next class, 9th sem, without having written exams of the 8th sem. People like Arun Skaria and Zeeshan have their own personal scores to settle. People like Debajyoti and Avni Bansal have their political ambitions to become the next Presidents of the college. These are the concerns that seem to be the most important. These are the bases on which the community is being mobilised and nothing else.
WHERE DOES THE STRIKE LEAD US
Let us all be sure that the Executive Council, the Governing Council and the Chancellor, Hon'ble CJ of Chhattisgarh are not going to listen to the students concerns unless and until the strike is called off and classes resumed. The same goes for the Senior Advocates of the Supreme Court and other people like Justice Agnihotri of the HC who are in the position of decision making with respect to the university. Hence the "noble cause" as they put it, of removing the VC cannot be achieved as well.
This on the other hand means that recruiters are going to be completely absent from the university for a long time to come. So there are (1) no cogent reasons for the strike (2) no jobs for the coming batches and a likelihood of a lot of students currently studying here to lose a year.
MOTIVATION FOR THE STRIKE
Personal grudges of students like Arya Tripathi who had been fined some time back for being violent (she hit a senior with a shoe), Maula Hasan who cheated in exam and was fined etc. are the main reasons that are being used as fuel for the fire of this strike. Instead of what these students might dream up as "real issues" these little things are coming across as the chief reasons for the strike. Earlier as well, students like Bikramaditya Ghosh, Aditya Singh and others have gone on hunger strike and pressure tactics to make sure a druggie is promoted to the next class, 9th sem, without having written exams of the 8th sem. People like Arun Skaria and Zeeshan have their own personal scores to settle. People like Debajyoti and Avni Bansal have their political ambitions to become the next Presidents of the college. These are the concerns that seem to be the most important. These are the bases on which the community is being mobilised and nothing else.
WHERE DOES THE STRIKE LEAD US
Let us all be sure that the Executive Council, the Governing Council and the Chancellor, Hon'ble CJ of Chhattisgarh are not going to listen to the students concerns unless and until the strike is called off and classes resumed. The same goes for the Senior Advocates of the Supreme Court and other people like Justice Agnihotri of the HC who are in the position of decision making with respect to the university. Hence the "noble cause" as they put it, of removing the VC cannot be achieved as well.
This on the other hand means that recruiters are going to be completely absent from the university for a long time to come. So there are (1) no cogent reasons for the strike (2) no jobs for the coming batches and a likelihood of a lot of students currently studying here to lose a year.
Why a strike is bad?
Let's put things in perspective before this post takes a start. Things are very clear that the strike is not getting the students anywhere apart from the fact that some noise that is largely non-audible outside the corridoors of HNLU is being made. Some students from rich political families (I don't need to mention names here!) move around with Nikon cameras hanging around their necks and take photos of spicy and interesting scenes which would have been infinitely more useful had these students been corresspondents in local newspapers which would sell their souls for a plate of free breakfast.
REASON FOR THE STRIKE
The reasons of maladministration and lack of facilities etc. have been quoted as those for the strike. The reason why a strike is done is to get some demands met. The university has set up a committee of teachers to take up the issues with the students. The strikers are not ready to talk to the committee. The strikers are not ready to interact with anyone but the media for publicity. Even without the dialogue, the university is already relenting to some demands that are made. Even then the strike is indefinite and keeps going on until the objective of removal of VC is attained.
WHO IS THE STRIKE DIRECTED AT
That brings me to the next idea, who is this strike directed at? Why? Is it legitimate? Most importantly, would it get us anything? The only aim of the strike is to remove the VC. Such a direction of a student protest is not only shallow but also shows the immaturity of the so called "movement". A strike is always called for a cause, a belief, and not just for the removal of an individual, against who the most "serious" charge is that he is a despot or a tyrant and that he fined people who are leading the strike. An example of the same is a student who was caught cheating in exam and was fined just a while back.
REASON FOR THE STRIKE
The reasons of maladministration and lack of facilities etc. have been quoted as those for the strike. The reason why a strike is done is to get some demands met. The university has set up a committee of teachers to take up the issues with the students. The strikers are not ready to talk to the committee. The strikers are not ready to interact with anyone but the media for publicity. Even without the dialogue, the university is already relenting to some demands that are made. Even then the strike is indefinite and keeps going on until the objective of removal of VC is attained.
WHO IS THE STRIKE DIRECTED AT
That brings me to the next idea, who is this strike directed at? Why? Is it legitimate? Most importantly, would it get us anything? The only aim of the strike is to remove the VC. Such a direction of a student protest is not only shallow but also shows the immaturity of the so called "movement". A strike is always called for a cause, a belief, and not just for the removal of an individual, against who the most "serious" charge is that he is a despot or a tyrant and that he fined people who are leading the strike. An example of the same is a student who was caught cheating in exam and was fined just a while back.
Realities about the Strike - a start
It has been about 2 weeks that the so called "student community of HNLU" has been on a strike, not attending classes, not talking to adminsitration and talking only to the media. Also, trying to talk to some more powerful higher authorities and not getting to talk to them. This site is an attempt to get down to the bottom of this strike and the persons who are at the helm of the affairs. Another thing that we seek to do is to bring out the real realities of the university to the public at large and start rethinking what we want to do with the enormous power that as a student body we hold in responsibility.
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