Students at Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya in Wardha have accused the university administration of reneging on assurances made during recent negotiations, as FIRs against six protesting students and campus entry restrictions remain firmly in place. The controversy follows a nationwide Chalo Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha call on September 28, which drew representatives from student organizations, political parties, and socio-political groups across the country to support a movement that has been ongoing since July 8.
A march from Arvi Naka to the university culminated in a strong demonstration and subsequent talks between a protesting delegation, led by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi youth leader Sujat Ambedkar, and officials from the university, police, and district administrations.
The protesting students have raised three primary demands. They are calling for the immediate withdrawal of FIRs registered against six Dalit-backward-class students, namely Rajesh Kumar Yadav, Niranjan Kumar, Ramchandra, Rahul Kumar, Rakesh Ahirwar, and Shivpoojan. Additionally, they demand the immediate removal of all restrictions barring students from entering the university campus and hostels. Their third major demand is the removal of former Acting Registrar Kadar Nawaz Khan from all important administrative positions, the initiation of a fair investigation into allegations of irregularities concerning teacher appointments and financial matters, and the appointment of a permanent Registrar.
According to the protesters, a clear verbal agreement was reached during the September 28 talks regarding the first two demands, with the university administration assuring the delegation that the FIRs would be withdrawn and the entry restrictions lifted. However, no such agreement or time-bound written assurance was provided regarding the third demand concerning Kadar Nawaz Khan.
The students allege that in the days following the talks, the administration went back on its word. As of October 4, no written orders have been issued to withdraw the FIRs or lift the restrictions. Compounding the students' frustration, subsequent press releases from the university and various media reports have claimed that no agreement was reached on these issues whatsoever, a move the protesters have condemned as deceptive and a serious breach of administrative accountability.
The controversy surrounding Kadar Nawaz Khan remains a central pillar of the agitation. Protesters allege that continuous complaints regarding administrative, financial, and appointment irregularities were submitted at various levels of the university between 2019 and 2023 during the tenure of former Vice-Chancellor Rajnish Kumar Shukla. Despite these dozens of complaints, no fair or effective investigation was conducted, and Khan was continuously entrusted with key responsibilities.
Although he was recently removed from the post of Acting Registrar amid mounting pressure, he has been retained in the influential position of Finance Officer. Students are questioning the justification for this retention and have raised serious concerns about the role of the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kumud Sharma, asking why her administration has not ordered an independent investigation or completely removed Khan from positions where he can influence administrative decisions.
Despite the alleged assurances from the September 28 talks, the movement has continued, prompting the police administration to issue three separate notices seeking to end the protests. The students have defied these notices, maintaining a peaceful daily sit-in from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Gandhi Putla near the district collectorate. The situation escalated on the morning of October 3 when protesters arrived to find their tent dismantled and removed from the site.
Upon inquiry, police stated the Municipal Council had removed it, while Municipal Council officials claimed they acted on instructions from above, treating the structure as an encroachment. The students strongly condemned this action, noting that it was executed without any prior notice or opportunity for removal, despite the district and police administrations being fully aware of the continuous, peaceful nature of the protest.
Faced with what they describe as systematic suppression, the students have invoked Article 19 of the Constitution, questioning whether peacefully staging a protest for basic democratic rights has become a crime in India. They emphasize that students removed from the university and deprived of hostel facilities since September 1 are merely seeking the resolution of their basic demands and an end to punitive actions.
The protesters have made it unequivocally clear that they will not be intimidated by police notices, administrative pressure, or the removal of their protest site. They have announced that the struggle will continue and broaden until the assurances from the September 28 talks are implemented in writing, the FIRs against the six students are withdrawn, all campus restrictions are lifted, and a fair, independent, and time-bound investigation into the administrative irregularities is initiated.
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*Research Scholar, Department of Women's Studies, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha
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