1 week ago
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New Delhi, Students at Ashoka University, Haryana's Sonipat, are protesting new security measures introduced by the administration. These include vehicle checks, a ban on carrying cigarettes and alcohol on campus, rerouting student movement to Gate 2, and mandatory pocket checks. Outlined in a January 13 email from the Vice President of Operations, the rules have been criticized as invasive, with the
Ashoka University
Student Government (AUSG) alleging a lack of prior consultation and demanding a roll-back.
A petition opposing the protocols, issued hours after the announcement, has reportedly garnered over 1,100 signatures, including faculty members'.
The varsity in a statement said the measures were introduced to enhance security on campus, after consultation with the faculty.
"The measures of screening baggage and belongings at Ashoka University Campus are aimed at enhancing the safety and welfare of our students and campus residents. These measures have been implemented in consultation with Faculty and Staff representatives and keeping the Student Government and Campus Ministry involved, since safety of students and their well-being is of paramount concern to us," it said.
Students have alleged that the measures, which took effect on January 17, include searching of vehicle, their glove compartments, belongings of taxi drivers and family members on move-in days.
"Incoming vehicles faced invasive searches, including glove compartments and under-seat spaces. Belongings of taxi drivers and family members were also subject to these scanners on move-in days, something the student body was not informed about," a statement from protesting students said.
Some students claimed they were forced to submit their personal belongings, such as shampoo bottles, for inspection under apprehension they may be used to carry alcohol.
On January 19, students gathered at Gate 2 to for a demonstration.
Students said the administration tried to suppress their protest by continuously wetting the atrium floor to prevent gatherings, deploying additional security guards, and blocking the area with planters.
"The administration continuously wetted the atrium floor with pipes and buckets of water to prevent students from gathering in the open space, used historically for this purpose," the students alleged in a statement.
The Left-backed All India Students' Association issued a statement expressing solidarity with the students, criticising the alleged surveillance as a violation of constitutional privacy rights.
"Ashoka University, which prides itself on being a liberal bastion, has unveiled itself as a policed space," it said.
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