Finally, after two-and-a-half months struggle and indefinite strike by MBA and MCA students of the Regional College of Management Autonomous (RCMA) here, a committee of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), the college is affiliated to, agreed to discuss the demands of the students in details in its May 7 emergency board meeting.
It was decided after a four-member delegation of the students met with Employment, Technical Education and Training (ETE&T) department Secretary CS Kumar here on Tuesday over their long-standing demand to get original registration cards and degree certificates, denied to them by the college authorities so far.Kumar said a process is on to solve the RCM certificate issue. “The BPUT governing body meeting will be held on May 7 where the authorities will take a decision in the matter,” he assured.
According to Raza Quadir, a RCMA student, Secretary Kumar assured he would inform the students about the outcome of the meeting of the BPUT on May 8, while a final decision on whether the students are going to get their certificates would be taken on May 20. Quadir warned, “If we don’t get a positive response from the officials, we will continue our demonstration in front of the lower PMG till our demands are fulfilled.” Besides, another team of the RCMA students also met with Twin City Commissioner of Police Dr RP Sharma regarding the police assault on the students at the lower PMG late on Monday night in which four girl students were seriously injured.
According to reports, a group of RCMA students on Monday were squatting in front of the BPUT office at Gandamunda in the city from 11.30 am to 10 pm demanding issuance of certificates in favour of them. When they failed to meet the BPUT VC to take up the certificate issue with him, the students soon held siege to the office and didn’t let officials go out of the office. To restore normalcy, police forces swung into action and detained more than 20 students from the spot.
later, the police left the detainees at the lower PMG. However, all of a sudden, some irate students attacked police personnel asking why they had detained their friends without any reason. A clash followed in which two vehicles of the police were damaged. However, the students alleged that the male staff of the Commissionerate Police assaulted the girl students without engaging women police. As many as 20 students were injured. “The cops crossed the limit by assaulting the girls at night. It was serious violation of human rights,” alleged the students, who were also backed by a few human rights activists in the city. The seriously injured girl students are now undergoing treatment in the Capital Hospital. “We are planning to approach the State Human Rights Commission and the Mahila Commission over the police atrocity,” said a girl student.
Meanwhile, All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) members have expressed solidarity with the RCMA students. The organisation along with the students staged a rally in front of the State Assembly following a procession they took out from the Master Canteen to the lower PMG.
