Students remove pillars to stop ‘encroachment' of Government College for Girls ground in Ludhiana.
Ludhiana: Students of Government College for Girls (GCG) on Wednesday protested against the installation of pillars and fence in the college ground. They raised slogans against authorities for allowing such 'encroachment' of making a fence in the college ground.
Controversy erupted as part of the GCG ground being fenced to turn it in into a parking space for Durga Mata Mandir across the road. But the students protested the move and said that the land belonged to the college where they hold their sports activities.
"We need this space for sports and other activities. We practice here and this space cannot be taken away. The college would expand, such encroachment and giving away of the college land should not be done," Jasman Kaur, a student of the college said.
"The college land belongs to the students and it should not given to anyone under any condition," Anita, another protesting student said.
It is pertinent to mention that Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora had written to Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains that the land of Government College for Girls should be allotted for parking for Durga Mata Mandir.
But after the activity for earmarking land started taking place in the sports ground, students got to know about it and started protesting against the move.
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They also held protest at DC office on Monday in this regard, but still fencing of the land started. "This is highly ironic that the the government college land is being allocated for parking. Even though this government has been making big claims about improving education, here prime land of a reputed educational institute is being grabbed.
We have been asking under which rule or authority was such step was being done in the college, but nobody is answering.
The land belongs to the students," said Ranvir Singh, president, Punjab Students' Union.
"The MP or the ministry or the administration should come forward and debate with us why this land is being allocated for parking purpose. Alternatives for parking space for temple should be explored, but land of the college cannot be given at any cost. The is the space for the colleges and students. Action must be taken against the contractors and all involved who started encroaching the college ground," Amandeep Singh Kheowali, national coordinator for Punjab Students' Union.
Educationists have also condemned the move. Brij Bhushan Goyal from SCD Government College Alumni Association said, "The Government College for Girls should be given grant for research and institute and made a deemed university. But instead, even the existing land of the college is being encroached upon," he said. "An educational institute that has given so much to Punjab, so many students from the college are serving as educationists.
This too is a temple of education, and land is being encroached upon to make space for temple parking is highly condemnable. No educated person would tolerate such encroachment," he said.
Former principals express shock
Manjit Kaur Sodhia, former principal, Government College for Girls, said, "I have been really perturbed ever since I got to know about this. Even if I have to lay my life, I will do it, but I will not let even an inch of the land of my college to be encroached upon.
There have been such attempts earlier as well. When I was a principal, we had stopped such attempts," she said. "This land is only and only for education and for students.
When I was the principal, then MP Lala Lajpat Rai about 35 years ago and the govt tried to get this ground land allocated and many other attempts were made, but I put my foot down. No individual has rights to interfere in the college and try to encroach upon or grab the land of the college," she said.
Another former principal Dr Mohinder Kaur Grewal said, "We had never allowed such a situation to escalate. Though the ground is for a short duration like 5-7 days is given on lease for exhibitions etc, but never for a regular parking space.. I have been a student here, then taught and became the principal here. There were such attempts earlier when we used to be told and got letters from authorities, but we never let it happen.
We used to get orders, and even used to get letters, we have been resiting and fighting. Anything and everything is happening for vote bank politics these days," she said. "It is the primary responsibility of the staff to safeguard the institution," she said. "Students, teachers and principal must take a stand and don't let the land be given at any cost whatsoever," she added.
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