Assam University postpones convocation

convocation of Assam University has been postponed even as indefinite hunger strike by students against rustication of a research scholar entered ninth day on Tuesday. AU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dilip Chandra Nath said scheduled convocation of varsity on March 1 has been postponed indefinitely due to ongoing agitation.

" office of Assam University has become functionless due to agitation. So, preparation work for convocation could be done," he said. students are on hunger strike since February 10 with a host of demands, including withdrawal of rustication order against Milan Das, withdrawal of FIR against him and assurance of action against agitating students.

With students sitting in front of main gate and t allowing anyone to enter campus, functioning of varsity has come to a standstill. This forced varsity ministration to hold university Executive Council meeting on Tuesday to discuss prevailing situation outside campus at Rhamhab College.

Assam University Students' Union (AUSU) president Biswarup Bhattacharjee and general secretary Aritra Babai Dhar asserted that y will t withdraw agitation until ir demands are fulfilled. Bhattacharjee claimed that nine of ir striking students have been mitted in hospital after falling ill and " university authority has t approached us yet for talks".

A tripartite meeting between district ministration, university authority and students' union on Monday failed to end impasse. Das, a research scholar of Ecology and Environmental Sciences department, was rusticated on February 8 for two years and barred him from entering campus on seven counts, including causing threats to government servants, creating hindrance to office work, damaging varsity properties and insulting VC.

university ministration also lodged an FIR against him on same charges. Das is president of Assam University Research Scholars' Forum and former president of AUSU. agitating students claimed that authorities did t issue any show-cause tice to Das before rusticating him.

y also alleged that authority took action against Das because of his active involvement in various agitational programmes against irregularities in campus. A senior university official said executive council is rey to examine matter provided an application is me by research scholar requesting a review of order and an apology while assuring t to repeat such acts in future.

However, students have rejected this and said Das can only pray for cancellation of rustication order.