Staff Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, April 10: Hours after the newly elected office-bearers of the Dibrugarh University Post Graduate Students’ Union (DUPGSU) were administered the oath of office yesterday, clashes broke out between two factions of students on the varsity campus last night over just concluded election to the students’ body.
Reports of midnight attacks and counter-attacks emerged from two separate hostels of the university where two students – Manohar Pegu and Abhinav Chetia — reportedly sustained injuries. The news of the attack sparked protest in the varsity today even as several students were seen leaving for their homes for the Bihu holidays. One faction of the students staged a demonstration in front of the office of the DUPGSU while the other faction staged their dharna in front of the office of the administrative building.
DUPGSU alleged that students of certain communities were becoming victims of physical attack and mental torture following their victory. Condemning the reported attacks, DUPGSU president Paban Gogoi said all those involved in the unruly behaviour will be punished. “We have received the complaints from the victims and we are taking up the matter with the DU authorities. We will demand a probe into the whole incident and ensure that the guilty, whoever they may be, are penalised,” he said.
Earlier, Himaloy Barik, general secretary of DUPGSU, while addressing the protesting students, said the union will mount pressure on the authorities for a thorough probe into the attacks and place an appeal to rusticate the guilty. He also alleged that certain students were engaged in inflicting mental torture on the newly elected body by trying to falsely link them with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and the Chatra Mukti Sangram Sammittee, etc. through a social media campaign.
Jeet Das, social service secretary, alleged that he was manhandled by some former student union leaders of the varsity while he tried to protest the presence of non-DUPGSU members during the first executive meeting of the newly elected students’ body.
According to Jeet Das, outside forces are seeking to interfere in the affairs of the DUPGSU, which the president and the general secretary have denied.
