Dharwad : The All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) on Thursday criticised the Karnataka government’s decision to keep student organisations out of campuses during the proposed student union elections in PU and degree colleges, terming it an attack on campus democracy.
Addressing the media in Dharwad, AIDSO district secretary Shashikala Meti said the move, aimed at preventing political influence in colleges, would instead suppress organised student movements and silence voices raising issues affecting students.
Meti said higher education institutions in the state face challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, rising educational costs and other policy-related concerns that require organised student intervention. Banning them will weaken democratic participation on campuses,” she said. She alleged that restricting student organisations under the guise of curbing politics was an attempt to shield the government from criticism over what she called “anti-student policies”. Colleges, she said, should encourage debate and democratic engagement rather than discourage them. Recalling that AIDSO had earlier welcomed the government’s decision to hold student union elections, Meti said the latest stand had raised serious concerns.
“Student unions represent students’ concerns and seek solutions to issues in educational institutions. She also accused the Congress government of adopting a contradictory approach by supporting protests against policies of the Union government while allegedly attempting to curb student movements in Karnataka. AIDSO demanded that the government withdraw the decision immediately and appealed to students across the state to launch a united democratic movement against the proposed restrictions on student organisations.