City colleges to go ahead with student council polls

CHANDIGARH: Despite an initial resistance on part of city colleges over student council elections, it is now evident that colleges affiliated to Panjab University (PU) will hold polls along with PU in the end of August. While colleges, in view of the violence held during polls, had earlier said they were not in favour of elections, no further discussion or contact with the administration has been sought till now.Colleges, that toed a different line, are now denying any contact with administration over the issue.
With students at DAV College, Sector 10; GGDSD College, Sector 32; Post Graduate Government College, Sector 11 and Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26, being the most active in election-related activities, they had initially showed some reservations in a meeting with PU authorities held in July.
"Since PU has written to the administration and already sought a date for elections, we will also go with the same. A few colleges were trying to meet officials in UT administration, but the meeting didn't take place. We are still trying if we can meet them," said B C Josan, principal, DAV College. The college had written to PU after a former student leader, an ex-student of the college, was stabbed on the college campus by another former student.
Other principals said they had not contacted the UT administration over the matter. "All colleges had unanimously decided to support the university in the meeting called by dean university instruction. So, we will go along with the university and hold elections," said Bhooshan Kumar Sharma, principal, SD College.
SS Dhillon, principal, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26, also said there was no question of not holding the polls as the decision to propose a date had already been taken in the meeting with the university. "There has been no communication from our side. In any case, the university takes the decision on holding polls and we abide by it," he told TOI.
Along with the PU campus, the atmosphere in colleges has also gradually started warming up for elections. Student leaders sporting stickers of their respective organizations can often be seen around the campus.