New Delhi: Lack of hostel accommodation and transportation facilities for students as well as change in syllabus are going to be key issues of the upcoming Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections to be held in early September this year. A month before the elections, the row over change in syllabus has rocked the university campus as the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students’ wing of RSS and the All India Students’ Association (AISA), along with other Left organisations, have staged protests and counter-protests on the issue.
While the ABVP has alleged “Left hegemony” in academics, Left organisations have accused the former of trying to curb academic autonomy. The issue was triggered by some proposed changes in the syllabi of English, History, Political Science and Sociology, that were opposed by a member of Delhi University’s Academic Council (AC) and the ABVP for “anti-RSS” topics in the proposed syllabi of the mentioned subjects. University officials said that the English department has decided to drop the “objectionable portion” in the syllabus. However, changes in Political Science and Sociology courses were reportedly passed.
Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, DUSU president Shakti Singh, who is also a member of ABVP, said, “We are demanding a proper review of syllabus and the syllabus committee must involve people from all political ideologies. This is going to be a main issue in this election.” He also said that apart from this, more hostels, campus safety and special facilities for students with disability are the key issues that the ABVP is going to take up. Criticising Left organisations, he said, “This has been going on since long. When we speak of Rastravaad, they (the Left) talk about breaking the country.’’
However, Kawalpreet Kaur, president of AISA DU unit, said: “The ABVP has been winning in DU since the last five years. But they have not done anything concrete on any students’ issue. At the same time, the BJP government is at the Centre and the policies of the BJP government are totally anti-student. Massive cut in funds, cut in seats in various campuses, and putting charges on students are what we are protesting against. The RSS is trying to control what should be taught in the university and what not.’’ She said that AISA’s main focus in the DUSU elections will be on the ABVP’s “interference” in DU’s syllabus making, privatisation of education under the New Education Policy, along with some basic issues such as lack of hostel accommodation and concession for students in public transportation.
However, Anushesh Sharma, National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) national secretary told The Sunday Guardian that the issue of syllabus is being “politicised” by the ABVP and Left organisations and has no relevance to students of Delhi University.
Stating that the issue of syllabus is nothing but a totally “Left vs Right” issue as “both are trying propagate their own ideologies”, .
, “NSUI is always with genuine students’ issues. We are not with any propaganda politics in the name of syllabus. So the main focus of our election campaign will centre on core students’ issues such as privatisation of education, hike in fees in various courses, and transparency of DUSU budget.’’