NIRMAL: Looking at the massive gathering of protesting students (over 7,000 in number) at Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technology (RGUKT) - popularly known as Basara IIIT - one wonders how could the students mobilise themselves in such an organised manner?
Moreover, they haven’t given up agitation despite “intimidation” by the government functionaries. Braving sun and rain for three days, they held ground, insisting that the government would wake from its slumber and address the issues. Though the academic year started on June 13, the issues continue to fester.
The deplorable state of the university was in every aspect right from instruction to food to other areas like seedy hostels, and poor sports infrastructure has goaded the engineering and pre-engineering students to hit the roads.
The engineering undergraduates have adopted social media to organise themselves. They have created WhatsApp groups for each class. Subsequently, another WhatsApp group came up with class representatives. They have been actively using Telegram, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Facebook to disseminate information.
Sitting outside the heavily barricaded main entrance of RGUKT, one could witness a few students who were on vacation returning to their college in a hurry to take part in the protest. “I will drop my bag in the hostel and join the protest,” a female second-year Pre-University Course student told Express.
No political backing to students
Recently, a Student Governing Council (SGC) was elected by all the students via online mode. The SGC comprises class representatives. After TNIE spoke to protesting students, it became clear that no political outfit was working behind the scenes.