Varsity topper to boycott convocation
Pondicherry University alumna not to accept her degree, in protest against the CAA
22/12/2019, RAJESH B. NAIR,PUDUCHERRY
Pondicherry University alumna not to accept her degree, in protest against the CAA
22/12/2019, RAJESH B. NAIR,PUDUCHERRY
A protest against the CAA by students of Pondicherry University. M. SamrajM. Samraj
A gold medallist in M.Sc. Electronic Media from Pondicherry University has decided to reject her medal and not attend the convocation to be held on Monday. President Ram Nath Kovind is scheduled to preside over the convocation.
Karthika B. Kurup said she was registering her protest and pushing for the withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens. Ms. Kurup’s WhatsApp status message on Saturday went viral by late evening.
Ms. Kurup, who completed her Masters last year, told The Hindu, “It is my personal choice. It is my democratic right to protest against a law which is against humanity and unconstitutional.” She added, “I will not accept the degree until the government withdraws the legislation.”
The Pondicherry University Students Union had on Friday exhorted students to boycott the convocation. Following the union’s call, Ph.D. scholar A.S. Arun Kumar from the Anthropology Department also decided to stay away. “I want to express my anger against the CAA and the brutal way the Central government cracked down on the students protest in New Delhi. So I have decided not to accept my degree from the President,” he said.
Mr. Kumar also announced his decision through a WhatsApp message, claiming it was in solidarity with the students protesting against CAA across the country. “When the entire country is burning, I do not want to rejoice by accepting the degree. I will get it once the government agrees to amend the wrong done to the country,” he added.
A senior administrative official said the university had not received any communication from the students who had announced their call to boycott.
“We have announced the list of medal winners and first rank holders on the university website. The students themselves have registered on the website for the convocation,” he said.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) urged Puducherry DGP Balaji Srivastava to take action against those spreading rumours with the intent of disrupting the convocation. In a complaint on Saturday, ABVP urged the police to crack down on people posting ‘vicious’ messages on WhatsApp. “In the name of student council, some anti-social elements are spreading provocative messages to create chaos,” ABVP general secretary Selva Kumar said in his complaint.
A gold medallist in M.Sc. Electronic Media from Pondicherry University has decided to reject her medal and not attend the convocation to be held on Monday. President Ram Nath Kovind is scheduled to preside over the convocation.
Karthika B. Kurup said she was registering her protest and pushing for the withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens. Ms. Kurup’s WhatsApp status message on Saturday went viral by late evening.
Ms. Kurup, who completed her Masters last year, told The Hindu, “It is my personal choice. It is my democratic right to protest against a law which is against humanity and unconstitutional.” She added, “I will not accept the degree until the government withdraws the legislation.”
The Pondicherry University Students Union had on Friday exhorted students to boycott the convocation. Following the union’s call, Ph.D. scholar A.S. Arun Kumar from the Anthropology Department also decided to stay away. “I want to express my anger against the CAA and the brutal way the Central government cracked down on the students protest in New Delhi. So I have decided not to accept my degree from the President,” he said.
Mr. Kumar also announced his decision through a WhatsApp message, claiming it was in solidarity with the students protesting against CAA across the country. “When the entire country is burning, I do not want to rejoice by accepting the degree. I will get it once the government agrees to amend the wrong done to the country,” he added.
A senior administrative official said the university had not received any communication from the students who had announced their call to boycott.
“We have announced the list of medal winners and first rank holders on the university website. The students themselves have registered on the website for the convocation,” he said.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) urged Puducherry DGP Balaji Srivastava to take action against those spreading rumours with the intent of disrupting the convocation. In a complaint on Saturday, ABVP urged the police to crack down on people posting ‘vicious’ messages on WhatsApp. “In the name of student council, some anti-social elements are spreading provocative messages to create chaos,” ABVP general secretary Selva Kumar said in his complaint.
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