Around a thousand students gathered at different locations to continue their protest march demanding undergraduate semester examination be conducted in “online mode”. Police however foiled their attempt to carry on with their march.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Around a thousand university students from different colleges in and around Dimapur on November 25 protested outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur, demanding that the proposed Nagaland University (NU) undergraduate semester examination be conducted in “online mode”.
On the second day of their protest (November 26), police forces had foiled their protest march and dispersed the agitating students.
A source from Dimapur police told this correspondent that on Friday that students numbering around a thousand, who were not under any banner or organizations or representing any students’ body, gathered at different locations to continue their protest march demanding “online examinations” when the police had to intervene at around 10 am.
The source said that police had got inputs beforehand that the students were to continue for the protest for which uniformed personnel was deployed well ahead in order to prevent them (students) from continuing with the protest.
“These parties (some students) had asked permission to organize the protest rally but since they do not represent any recognized organisations or student’s body, the permission was turned down by the competent authority”, the source said.
The source said that despite the permission to conduct the protest rally being turned down, they went ahead and when the police tried to make them understand by requesting them to disperse, some of the mobs (students) became unruly.
“When protestors (students) became unruly and remained adamant to go ahead with the protest despite several warnings by the Magistrate, the “minimum force had to be applied”, the source further added.
All Nagaland College Students’ Union: All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) president, Toito Chishi, when contacted informed this correspondent that the protestors (students) collectively had approached his office last week by serving a representation to look into the matter.
He said that since the ANCSU and the officials of Nagaland University (NU) could not be able to hold physical mode of meeting as the Vice-Chancellor and the Exam Controller were both out of station, the ANCSU had a telephonic conversation apprising about the representation sent by the students.
However, Chishi said that while waiting for the communiqué from the NU, some students took initiative by forming a “Whatsapp Group” and then from there they instigated other students to opt for the mode of online exam and if the university officials failed to get back on time, they would go for protest.
He later said that the ANCSU does not encourage any of its students to go for such protest (s).
Dimapur Naga Students’ Union: Meanwhile, the Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) has reasoned to the ongoing protests by college students against the “offline mode of examination” by Nagaland University.
DNSU in a press statement issued by its media cell stated that with the decline in Covid positive cases and reopening of schools and colleges all over the state with strict maintenance of SoPs, many students are opting for the “offline mode” of classes as well as exams knowing that “online classes and online exams” had more “drawbacks” than gain.
DNSU maintained that after thorough understanding and comprehension, has observed that the “online mode of examination” should not be endorsed in the state at the moment for the benefit of the entire students’ community and their educational progress.
This, DNSU said is with concern to the grievances the students’ community who are protesting have been sharing with its officials.
In this regard, DNSU has appealed to Nagaland University to reconsider the already published exam routine where the students are not getting any breaks in between the subjects in their exam routine.
It added that the continues lockdown has affected even the syllabus coverage in most of the colleges and students are concerned about performing efficiently in the final examinations which are truly genuine and understandable and for which DNSU felt that Nagaland University would consider a decrease in the syllabus as well.
DNSU further advised and requested the students who are protesting against the “offline mode of examination” to stop their agitation and to start focusing on the academic achievements and exams ahead.