To the Beloved System

“where ignorance is bliss,

'tis folly to be wise.”

 

            The above is one of the most commonly misinterpreted quotes and for us it has almost become our motto. The poet, Thomas Gray never wanted to promote ignorance in his poem “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College”. The recent developments in our university has brought to light the pitiable mindset of bulk of the students who have remained unperturbed to matters which do not directly concern them.

            Last semester can be jokingly called 'the semester of year lags' as over 25 year lags has plagued the university on academic and disciplinary grounds. Many of these students have planned to leave the university by the next academic session and pursue their studies elsewhere. Here two seperate cases may be highlighted because they demonstrate the inefficiency of our authority and poor administrative system that needs addressing.

 

I)       The year lags of 5 students Metallurgy Dept. 2^nd year for a proposed ragging incident where such a severe punishment was doled out hastily within two days of the incident without sufficient enquiry. The anti-ragging committee and anti-ragging squad was devoid of any student representative at the time which is against the UGC guidelines. Moreover the victim had withdrawn his complaint and had pleaded to deaf ears that the severity of the punishment be reduced. Rumours are that the timing of the incident was perfect for our Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ajay Kr. Roy, who was looking for an extension of his term and jumped to seize such an opportunity.

II)   The year lags of 8 students of Computer Science & Technology 3^rd year due to apparent poor performance in laboratory sessionals though it was clear that they have been singled out for their attendance which only slightly below the 75% criteria of our university. Their performance was judged on random vivas without time for preparation under tremendous mental pressure. Medical certificates from government hospitals have been ignored by the department and authorities. The Vice Chancellor said that this rule of giving year lag on the basis of a single lab is outdated and unfortunate but he cannot do anything to consider this case. Then the question remains whose responsibility is it to see to the welfare of the students of this university. Moreover a student was recently admitted to the 1^st year M.Sc. Chemistry course after the conclusion of the odd semesters and a special examination was arranged for her by the authority, against the wishes of the teachers for evaluating a semester in which she did not attend any classes of labs.

 

            We have many issues to put forward in favour of these cases but this small space unfortunately will not allow such a detailed discussion. A handful of students who wanted justice for their friends dearly missed a Students' Union while addressing an ever procrastinating bunch of authorities. On the other hand the one sided Constitution of the Students' Senate that has been passed recently in the Executive Council, whose laughable clauses (some of which violates the BESU ACT 2004) were made without sufficiently consulting the students will fail to address our issues once it has been formed.

            Sadly the students, still deep in slumber, fail to collectively raise their voices for their rights, for all the prevailing injustices and continue to live in their shell concerned only with their personal issues. Rising university and mess fees which violates the UGC Regulations for Students' Entitlement, increasing corruption in the authority, mismanagement of government funds by planting costly grass, erecting statues, renovating pavements, reconstructing a faulty swimming pool, a useless Boxing-Ring, Meditation Centre, etc when the conditions of halls/ hostels and departmental laboratories remain deplorable – and still no form of protest from us students.

            We daily discuss these issues in the students' canteen, our hostel rooms but have left them at the level random rants of an idle mind. 20 years of education is a lot to constuct a sense of belief, strong morals for an individual and it now time to get up, stand up for those beliefs, against these injustices, find our voices again and stop behaving like a herd of sheep silently following the shepherd. Let us unite for once and fight for justice so that we can proudly remember our college life, our fellow brothers and sisters who stood up against the wrong, were part of something that was greater than one's selfish self. Here it seems apt to paraphrase Che Guevarra in hopes of a brighter future of our university -

“If you tremble indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine.”