What seemed to mark the start of a sustained Gen Z movement erupted at Panjab University (PU) on Monday, as thousands of students and supporters defied a strict security lockdown, sealed campus borders, barricaded streets, and ignored repeated administrative appeals, turning the university into the epicenter of one of the largest youth-led protests in its history.
Following the massive demonstration, protesters unanimously resolved to continue their indefinite dharna until the Senate election schedule is formally announced under the pre-October 30 structure, rejecting the Centre’s recent rollback.
The unrest has been building since The Tribune revealed the PU overhaul on November 1, sparking intense political debate across Punjab and Chandigarh and uniting anti-BJP forces. In response, the Centre issued four notifications in a single week, ultimately withdrawing the controversial October 30 restructuring order on November 7. However, the rollback failed to appease students, who escalated their movement with Monday’s unprecedented rally.
Even the fact that Vice-Chancellor Prof Renu Vig on Sunday formally initiated the Senate election process by sending the draft election schedule to Vice-President of India and Chancellor CP Radhakrishnan did little to calm tempers. Students termed it “too little, too late”, insisting that only a formally issued notification by the Centre would end their dharna.
Source: Shafaqna India