It's now more than three months that the students of Tezpur University are on a path of relentless agitation demanding removal of the Vice Chancellor for his administrative highhandedness, lack of accountability and institutional apathy towards university community’s sentiments along with many other demands. The agitation was sparked after a condolence meeting organised in memory of Zubeen Garg was not attended by any university authority, and then, administration declared Students’ Council election amidst the state declared mourning period. A gathering of students at the administrative building on 21 September was further enraged by the dismissive remarks made by the Vice Chancellor. The students submitted a seven point memorandum and that was rejected by the VC.
Next day the VC had to be escorted out of the admin block after he refused to apologise in front of the students who had boycotted the hastily declared official mourning on the same day. The students stayed in front of the admin block the whole day and night in protest. On 23 September, they lit 5,000 lamps in memory of Zubeen Garg. An inquiry was ordered by the District Collector into this incident, and an academic recess imposed by the administration, which was rejected by students.
The Tezpur Univ. Teachers’ Association (TUTA) supported the students and on 27 September students, teachers and non-teaching staff submitted a joint memorandum demanding the removal of the Vice-Chancellor, amendment of Ordinance No 25, and formation of a democratic, independent Students’ Union.
A Governor-appointed fact-finding committee investigated allegations of financial irregularities, recruitment lapses, etc. in mid-October. A three-member Ministry of Education (MoE) team also visited the campus. This was followed by the appointment of the Registrar by the VC, which was later withdrawn in face of resistance.
Students also held a procession on 26 October against the deforestation inside the campus and demanded ecological accountability. On 30 October the university community organised a march in black.
Female students protested on 9 November against discriminatory hostel rules and, in protest, ventured out of their hostels beyond curfew hours. They called these rules regressive, patriarchal, and incompatible with the ideals of a modern Central University of India.
The engineering students raised their voice against poor placement conditions and fund mismanagement on 14 November. This protest followed the resignations of the Training & Placement Officer and Dean, School of Engineering.
The Ministry of Education remained adamant not to listen to the students' genuine demands. Students went on an indefinite strike from 27 November. On 15 December, they sat on a day-long hunger strike.
A citizens’ convention was organised in solidarity with the students’ agitation on 19 December. The convention was attended by over two hundred individuals from diverse academic and political backgrounds. CPIML Assam State Secretary Bibek Das also addressed the convention. The convention demanded to immediately make public the inquiry report on irregularities inside the university, and demanded transparency and accountability from the government. It also endorsed forming a public inquiry committee.
The Tezpur University students’ movement continues for the removal of Vice Chancellor Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh and a time-bound inquiry into his irregularities, of financial discrepancies by other officials, along with their demand for a democratically elected Students' Union and a student-friendly, all inclusive environment.
