Students resent no direct elections to SCAs in HPU

SHIMLA: There is huge resentment prevailing in the student community with their demand for restoration of direct elections to Students' Central Association (SCA) not being accepted and the CM reiterating that indirect elections would be held on the basis of merit in Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) and affiliated colleges.
Last year, too, direct elections were not held due to violence.
HPU executive council (EC) has asked the authorities to begin the procedure for nominating SCA leaders from August 24 and end it by August 31. When HPU had set up a nominated SCA on September 9 last year, all four newly nominated leaders had refused to represent the indirectly formed body and withdrawn their names. The move had forced the authorities to dismiss the SCA.
Student Federation of India (SFI) campus secretary Vikram Kaith said students have been struggling for their rights for the last one year. "Nominated SCA would be a puppet in the hands of the university authorities, which is what they (authorities) want. By doing this, they are not leaving any space for us to speak up and fight for our rights. This is complete autocracy," he alleged.
Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) state secretary Ashish Sikta said they planned to gherao the assembly. "We want answers from Congress. Why is it that during their (Cong) governance only do students' elections get banned? Why does Congress still believe in monarchy?"
National Student Union of India (NSUI) state secretary Balvinder Singh added that if students were not provided the right to choose their representative, "what would students expect from the authorities".