The Delhi University (DU) is no stranger to election conflicts and violence. But the college-level elections that take place before the varsity elections had remained peaceful so far. The situation has now changed as even college-level elections have turned violent. Eight students from Motilal Nehru Evening College have been punished on Thursday after a fight broke out just before a presidential debate.  

Apart from the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), which is an umbrella council, each college also elect its own students union. Unlike the DUSU election, where students contest under the banner of political parties, the college-level students’ union elections claim to be apolitical and more democratic as the candidates don’t outrightly declare their affiliation to any particular party. However, a lot of small organisations which float candidates in college elections work as a cover for major student political organisations, including NSUI and ABVP.

On Wednesday, the United panel, an organisation that claims to work for student welfare, called for a presidential debate in Motilal Nehru Evening College. Another student organisation, Buddies Club (which adheres to NSUI principles), joined them. When the debate was about to start, students began hooting and it turned into a fight between the organisers and students from other panels. Though the fight was dispersed after the intervention of security guards, the college on Thursday witnessed loud sloganeering and protest demonstrations demanding the suspension of the students, who conducted the event. Ironically, this protest was led by the members of Buddies Club, who supported holding a presidential debate the previous day. The members of Yuva panel, who swear their allegiance to the ABVP, also joined the protest. 

They went to all classes to seek students’ support and to announce that they would sit for an indefinite hunger strike if the college administration didn’t suspend the ‘accused’. As the administration remained quiet, the protesters went on sitting near the main gate blocking the way as slogans against the college administration rend the air. 

Monica Yadav, the head of Buddies Club, said, “In the first place, it was an unofficial presidential debate without any consent from either the college administration or the police in-charge. Secondly, there were around 80 to 90 students from United panel of which most of them were outsiders and I can point them from the video footage.” 

Following the complaint, the college administration suspended five students, including Atul Sherawat, Sanket Yadav, Rahul Saini, Ajan Bhardwaj and Ashish Yadav until further notice. A First Information Report has also been filed in the South Campus police station against eight more students. The police investigated the matter on the basis of the footage and a few eyewitnesses. The charges against them are under the Indian Penal Code’s sections 323, 506 and 34. At the same time, one of the members of United panel claimed that the whole crowd was supporting them. 

As it was organised by the United panel, contestants from other organisations, the Buddies Club and Yuva panel, were unprepared for the speech. Hence, in order to have a better escape, the members from Buddies Club threw water bottles at United panel contestants that triggered the fight. “Besides these, we also complained to the principal and the complaint of Buddies Club was not accepted due to their misbehaviour with the college administration,” said a member of United panel on condition of anonymity.  

Avinash Chauhan, the presidential candidate of this year’s college election from Yuva panel, said, “As a common student, I say if there was at all a debate it must go in a decent way.” Chauhan also raised questions about the unofficial debate. “We don’t want goons on our campus and this is my statement representing 2,230 students of the college,” said Chauhan.

The event that took place in Motilal Nehru College may not be remembered after a few days. But, it will certainly raise a question, “How democratic is an election in DU college?”