Hyderabad:A protest demonstration of Maulana Azad National Urdu University (Manuu) students over substandard food escalated on Thursday after boys' hostel provost Mohd Yusuf Khan and university proctor Ahmed Sheikh allegedly abused them.
“We have video proof of the provost and the proctor using abusive language with us, and we have submitted it to the university administration,” claimed one of the students. The students stated that they had endured the poor food quality for a week and their concerns had been disregarded repeatedly.
The protest, which began around 3 pm on Thursday, intensified by nightfall, prompting the administration to call in police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to manage the situation.
The students alleged that they were warned of possible detention or FIRs being filed against them if they did not disperse. Despite the warnings, the students refused to budge, leading to the resignation of hostel provost Yusuf Khan.
The students maintained that the resignation of the official was not enough and demanded the removal of the wardens of both the boys’ and girls’ hostels, as they had behaved in an authoritarian manner.
“The hostel provost’s resignation is just one step. We need all those responsible for this hostile environment to be held accountable,” said another student protestor.
Adding fuel to the fire was the abrupt cancellation of the student union elections, which were scheduled for September 24. The students were particularly incensed as this year marked the first time in Manuu’s history that a presidential debate was to be held.
The university administration has not released an official statement. However, a senior university official, speaking to Deccan Chronicle said that the issue began with the allotment of hostels to non-boarders.
“Earlier, hostel allocations were based on the students' distance from the university. However, the provost, who has now resigned, recently stated that distance would not be the sole criterion for allocation. This upset many students who were hoping to get a hostel room,” he explained.
On the cancellation of the elections, he added, “It seemed as though various student panels needed something to show ahead of the polls. After the provost resigned, one panel announced it as their triumph, while the other panel wasn’t happy with it. They continued the protest to demand the removal of the women’s hostel provost and proctor as well. To ensure nobody exploits such a situation to indulge in more ugly tactics, the elections were cancelled.”
He also alleged that the students misbehaved with Vice Chancellor Prof. Syed Ainul Hasan by proceeding to his residence late at night. “This is when university proctor Ahmed Sheikh called the police for protection and crowd control,” he added.
As of now, the protests and negotiations between the students and university officials are ongoing, with police presence continuing on the campus.
