Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, Mar 14: Owing to the violent students-police clash on Jammu University (JU) campus the other day, the atmosphere remained charged up on Wednesday as well as the students and non-teaching employees held protest separately to express their anguish.
The non-teaching employees boycotted work and held dharna near the administrative block. The students belonging to different organisations boycotted their classes and unitedly staged demonstration in front of University main gate amid the presence of storng posse of police personnel.
A large number of female students were also present in the protest who were shouting slogans against the police for subjecting them to brutal lathicharge in the campus yesterday.
They also disrupted the vehicular movement on the road. However, police dispersed them after some time.
Thereafter, they assembled in front of the Central Library and continued shouting slogans till the afternoon. On other side, the non-teaching employees also continued dharna demanding action against the students who indulged in man-handling and ransacking. They were also demanding adequate security at the work place so that yesterday’s incident would not be repeated. Till afternoon, the entire functioning in the campus remained absolutely paralysed.
The Vice Chancellor, Dr Mohan Paul Singh Ishar, himself intervened to end the dead-lock. According to Registrar, Dr Naresh Padha, “The VC twice met the non-teaching employee to pacify them. The first meeting was held at 10:30 in the morning. Thereafter, he met them at 2:00 in afternoon. He assured them of adequate security besides, action against the persons responsible for yesterday’s incident. On this, the non-teaching employees resumed work.”
After this he went to the protesting students and pacified them also with an assurance that committee is looking into the whole episode and guilty will not be spared, he added. The students too responded to the assurance of the VC and dispersed peacefully.
It is pertinent to mention here that a violent clash took place on the campus on Tuesday afternoon between police and students. A five member committee headed by HoD Education Dr Lokesh Verma is looking into the incident. The committee has started inquiring the episode and will submit the report within 15 days.
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