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| Saturday, April 10, 2010 After several days of violence, the Punjab University has cancelled scheduled exams and shut down hostels. Many students had already left the campus after the mayhem that unfolded following the thrashing of a professor, who headed the university’s academic committee, by IJT activists. Such hooliganism is of course not new. It has occurred before. The grip of the IJT on the PU and indeed other campuses means a reign of fear remains in place, with ‘moral’ vigilance squads monitoring activities and dictating how various aspects of university life are to be run. The latest incident, with the police raiding the campus and questioning terrified students, demonstrates why so many problems continue to plague our system of higher education. Classes on campus have remained disrupted for days and the virtual closure of the university will obviously affect learning. What is more, it is unfair to expect academicians to teach or students to pursue studies when there is a constant threat of violence. Over the years many of the best professors have indeed left the PU because of the menace of violence. Various attempts have been made in the past to rein in the IJT but none have succeeded. The time has come to act in a more decisive way. Half-hearted measures will have no impact. The group of thugs in the guise of students is obviously unwilling to relinquish control or give up its hold. The Punjab government and the authorities that control higher education need to act. Our students need an opportunity to study in peace and indeed also to pursue other activities that form a part of campus life. They must be provided with an opportunity to do so and protected from the kind of havoc we see today. |
Mohammed Abbasi 