Savitribai Phule Pune University has barred protests, marches, meetings and demonstrations on its campus, including gatherings near the statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, prompting student organisations to demand that the decision be withdrawn immediately.
The restriction was announced through a circular issued by university registrar Dr Prafulla Pawar on the basis of a resolution passed by the university’s Management Council. The circular states that permission will no longer be granted for demonstrations, protests, meetings or marches within the university premises.
According to the university’s stated rationale, the campus has repeatedly been used for protests on national and broader public issues that are not directly connected with the university. The administration said such gatherings had, on several occasions, received permission from the police authorities and attracted thousands of participants.
The university said large gatherings could create the possibility of untoward incidents and disrupt academic activities. It therefore decided that political parties, organisations, groups and other persons or organisations associated with such protests would not be permitted to use the campus for demonstrations, meetings or marches.
The decision has drawn opposition from student groups. The Pune University unit of the Vidyarthi Sangharsh Kruti Samiti criticised the circular and said it affected students’ rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly under Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b) of the Constitution. The committee has demanded that the circular be cancelled without delay.
The committee has also raised questions about the reference to the Centre for Justice and Peace, Samyak Vidyarthi Andolan and other Shiv-Phule-Shahu-Ambedkarite and progressive organisations in the circular. It asked whether the restrictions would be applied equally to all organisations, including groups associated with the ruling party, and called on the university to clarify its position transparently.
The dispute comes as the state Higher and Technical Education Department has moved to form a committee for conducting student elections in educational institutions across Maharashtra. The committee was constituted on 24 September, according to the report. Student representatives have described the simultaneous advancement of the election process and restrictions on campus meetings and protests as contradictory.
The university’s circular appears to distinguish between academic functioning and political or public demonstrations conducted by groups that are not directly connected with the institution. However, the student groups’ objection centres on whether the restriction could limit the campus as a place where students express views, organise collectively and raise concerns about public affairs.
Abhishek Shelkar, president of the university unit of the Vidyarthi Sangharsh Kruti Samiti, called on Shiv-Phule-Shahu-Ambedkarite, progressive and student organisations to jointly oppose the circular. He said the university should not suppress students’ voices and that democratic values should be protected.
Ambedkarite activist Dr Rahul Sasane also publicly opposed the decision and appealed to leaders, activists and academics associated with progressive movements in Maharashtra to protest against it. The university’s next position on the demand to withdraw the circular has not been reported.
