This year’s poll-related violence and vandalism in various colleges across the State are unprecedented. Whether it is in the capital city or a far-flung district, the colleges have witnessed frayed tempers triggering unleashing of group clash among the students pertaining to union polls. Ironically, chaos seems to be the rulebook for the wannabe leaders for whom elections at their educational institutions are expected to imbue them with a healthy political culture.
The spate in attacks, bombing, smashing and burning in the colleges in the polls reflects the degeneration in our political culture. For, do whatever you can, it is impossible to keep the elections in the colleges confined to their campuses only and ensure they are impervious to the ominous spell of party politics. The covert or overt backing of the political parties is a shot in the arm of the mischief mongers and hooligans who stir up the innocent minds to clash at slightest provocation. The money and muscle power from the parties have spoiled the pristine atmosphere of educational institutions and spirit of bonhomie among the students.
The violence and rioting in the colleges are mostly due to some resentment among the students, be it over cancellation of polls or deprivation of opportunity to contest or lack of neutrality etc. State’s premier university Utkal University set the trend in motion when its students blocked the national highway to register their protest over cancellation of polls. The road blockade had led to a flare-up after a woman was killed in her car because of heart stroke when she saw students on the rampage. later, the poll-related violence spread far and wide. It was marked by bombings in BJB and RD University, besides skirmishes in scores of other institutions.
Keeping in view the spurt in unrest, many leading colleges preferred to cancel polls. While the polls were finally held in about 687 colleges, more or less everywhere reports of unsavoury incidents were found. Particularly, colleges in Kendrapada, Baleswar, Puri, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak, Nayagarh and Ganjam hogged the headlines for poll-related disturbances.