Assam: Students' protest continue against govt’s move to downgrade Women’s University
Guwahati, Mar 22 (IBNS): Opposing the Assam government’s move to downgrade the Assam Women’s University (AWU) to a technical institute, the student community of the state has come out to the streets staging dharnas and protested against the government move.
The stand-off between the student community and the state government over the issue intensified with students from various colleges and Universities coming out to the streets.
On Thursday, students of several colleges and several organizations including Students Federation of India (SFI) staged protest against the state government’s move.
The Assam Women’s University (AWU), the first Women University in the state was established after an Act was passed in the Assam Legislative Assembly in 2013 and the University started in a makeshift renovated grain storage facility of Assam Agriculture University in Jorhat.
While the student community wants that the Assam Women’s University to be declared a full-fledged university, the state government has taken decision to downgrade the university to a technical institute.
The students of various colleges demanded that the state government should maintain the university status of AWU and appoint a vice-chancellor.
Meanwhile, Assam Education minister Hinanta Biswa Sarma tweeted, “I am not sure why the girls are on strike. We have not taken any decision so far. My only view is that one should not have a university and confer degree without even creating the post of vice-chancellor.”
On the other hand, former Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi criticized the BJP-led Assam government and said that, the government is playing dual stand.
“While the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led union government campaigned Beti Bachao Beti Padhao vision across the country, the Assam government has planned to convert the lone Women’s University in the state to a technical institute,” Gogoi said.
Recently, over hundreds of AWU students went on a hunger strike in front of the Jorhat district Deputy Commissioner's office in protest against the government's decision to convert the university into a technical institute.
(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
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