College students in Dimapur during the protest against online exams on November 26.
A baton-charge and negotiations later, protestors submit representation to VC
Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 26
The street protests by undergraduate students in Dimapur opposing holding of “offline” examinations continued for the second day on November 26. The day’s protest was marked by heavy khaki presence, comprising riot personnel with tear gas, armed NAP (IR) counter-insurgency personnel and even Special Task Force commandos, along with the usual beat police and a water cannon.
This however was not deterrent enough to stop the students from rallying and submitting a representation to the Vice Chancellor, Nagaland University through the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur.
Barring a brief baton-charge early on, the protest was relatively peaceful with the protesting students indulging the police in a game of cat and mouse well into the afternoon. As captured on video by onlookers and news crews, some of the protestors were at the receiving end of canings before retreating and subsequently assembling to continue the protest. There was no official update from the police in this regard.
The protest today started with the students trying to gather at the DC office junction before the baton-charge at the nearby fuel outlet. It was followed with police personnel trying to dissuade them from gathering.
It seemed to work but they had another card up their sleeve, taking an alternative route to assemble at the incomplete Multi-Disciplinary Sports Complex. It was apparent the students were more wary of cameras than the police, as media persons were told not to film the episode.
The police turned up again, but this time, patience prevailed as both sides managed to talk it out resulting in a bulk of the students dispersing, while a small group headed to the DC’s office under heavy police observation.
It was later learnt that the protestors submitted a representation to the DC to be forwarded to the Vice Chancellor. The letter claimed to represent “Student’s of All Nagaland College.”
The representation justified the opposition to “offline” examination and called for either online exams or postponing it. It started by stating that the COVID-19 pandemic has already taken a toll on the students and “Considering the situation, conducting offline exams would be an exercise in futility… wasting time and resources and compromising the safety of students.”
It outlined 10 points, which according to them were grounds for the dissension. Among the reasons cited were alleged below par standard of online teaching and study assignments, besides the vulnerability of exposure to the virus while appearing the exams the traditional way.
“Even it will be a task for the teachers to evaluate those answer sheets who will have to be physically present in the (exam) centre for spot markings,” it said.
While stating that the mental well-being of students is more important than exams, it held that proper discussion with the students and parents should be taken before taking any decision. The sudden announcement of exam has put the students in a state of “trauma,” it claimed.
It further said, “Some Colleges did not even have offline classes while some are having offline classes for not more than two to three weeks.”
Moreover, it held that the “offline” exam schedule, as announced, has no gap in between, “which is unfair.” In comparison, it said that the previous “online exams” had gaps in between exam dates.
“All these reasons combined, it violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution,” it said.
Internet connectivity or lack thereof was another reason apparently disabling students from access to study material. “(For) Students who were dependent on the school/college library for reading material, it was a tough shift. Since not all students have equal access and opportunity to be able to even attend classes, preparing to appear for offline exams seems rather unfair.”
Financial difficulties for students, who have gone back home, away from their educational institutions and the probability of students “affected with covid-19” unable to appear the exams were the other reasons cited.
The DC, Dimapur acknowledged receiving the representation and forwarding it to the Nagaland Commissioner to be further forwarded to the VC, Nagaland University.
ANCSU says
During the protest today, the Dimapur Naga Students’ Union tried to mediate and broker an understanding. The protesting students however maintained that they will only talk with the All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU).
Meanwhile, an ANCSU executive maintained that it had delegated its unit leaders to parley with the protesting students. This apparently did not work.
The ANCSU had on November 22 issued a press release appealing the government to reconsider conducting the undergraduate exams online. It however had a change of mind after consulting a collective of principals representing colleges in Nagaland.
Queried if the ANCSU endorsed the protest of the students, the ANCSU executive said that it does not and informed that it will be issuing a public statement “shortly.” He did not specify when.
Effect in Longleng
The effect of the protest in Dimapur was also felt in Longleng. As per a DIPR release, students under the banner of the Yingli College Student's Union, organized a protest rally in Longleng on November 26 opposing holding of “offline” examination. The union submitted a representation to the Deputy Commissioner, Longleng, highlighting their grievances, it said.
