Countdown for Hyderabad university students’ union polls begins

HYDERABAD: After Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, the countdown for student union elections at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) has commenced as the left wing student bodies contemplate on a strategy to defeat the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
The UoH students’ union for the academic session of 2018-19 dissolved its tenure by holding a university general body meeting (UGBM) on Sunday.On the sidelines, many student organisations such as the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Dalit Students Union (DSU) conducted UGBMs to set the ground for the ensuing students’ union elections which are scheduled to be held by September-end.
Last year, the ABVP won the students’ union elections after a gap of nine years. Many attributed the victory to separation of left-wing student organisations such as ASA and SFI. However, this year, in order to ensure that ABVP does not take over the reins, the left-wing student organisations such as ASA, SFI, All India Students Association (AISA) are planning to form a larger alliance.
“Our primary aim is to defeat ABVP. For that, we will be holding discussions with other student bodies such as ASA and SFI to form a larger alliance keeping students interest in mind,” said Vishal Kumar, member of AISA’s convening committee at UoH.
Much like Delhi University, the issues that will dominate campaigning at UoH are expected to be of national importance. “Graded autonomy, self-financing courses, privatisation of public institutions will be major issues raised by us. Apart from this, we will also be raising concerns over ideological imposition and anti-Dalit policies such as reduction of fellowships,” said Abhishek Nandan, secretary of SFI at UoH.
Meanwhile, massive protests occurred at the Savitribai Phule auditorium on Sunday as the students’ union for the 2018-19 session dissolved. AISA members and other student organisations raised voices of dissent against the ABVP-led students’ union and sought accountability on the funds spent.