The Panjab University Bachao Morcha has issued a stern warning to the university administration, threatening a complete campus shutdown on November 26 if the long-delayed Senate elections schedule isn't released in writing by November 25.
Campus Shutdown Plans and Wider Protests
Student leaders confirmed that the proposed shutdown would effectively paralyze university operations, with classes being halted, administrative work stopped, and all university gates blocked to prevent entry. This dramatic action marks what protesters describe as the beginning of a broader mobilization across Punjab's educational institutions.
The movement is coordinating with student groups from Punjabi University, Guru Nanak Dev University, and Punjab Agricultural University to plan synchronized protests. Morcha representatives indicated that if the Senate schedule remains unannounced even after the shutdown, their agitation would expand beyond campus boundaries.
Plans are already being discussed for protests outside BJP offices in Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Bathinda. Student leaders emphasized that their struggle would shift to political centers if the Central government continues delaying decisions regarding Panjab University's governance structure.
Beyond Elections: Larger Governance Issues
Student organizers positioned the Senate election issue within what they characterize as a larger battle against privatization and centralized control under the National Education Policy 2020. Sandeep, president of the Society for Students, articulated that "This fight isn't merely about one election date. It represents resistance against a system that wants public universities to operate like private corporations and allows Delhi to dictate how Punjab's institutions should function."
Leaders from both Punjab and Haryana organizations collectively rejected framing the standoff as a Punjab-Haryana dispute. Significant Haryana groups including BKU (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, and Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) have joined the protest movement.
Student leaders referenced an October 15 note from the Union Home Ministry discussed at the North Zonal Council meeting. According to their understanding, the note suggested that restoring Haryana's role could boost the university's internal revenue generation through affiliation fees, with the proposal forwarded to the Department of Legal Affairs for examination. They argue this reveals the Centre's "contradictory stance" of publicly presenting the issue as a Punjab-Haryana clash while privately exploring financial advantages linked to Haryana's involvement.
Threats Against Activist and Institutional Response
A significant portion of the Morcha's meeting addressed the serious rape threats received by Advocate Aman, a state committee member of the Association for Democratic Rights who has been supporting the student agitation. She began receiving threatening WhatsApp messages from an unknown number on November 16.
Despite submitting a formal complaint to Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Singh on November 17, which was forwarded to SHO Narinder Patial of Sector 3 police station, the threatening messages continued until November 19. As of November 20, no FIR had been registered regarding these serious threats.
Advocate Aman told The Indian Express, "The messages explicitly stated that if I continue speaking against the RSS and BJP, I will face consequences. When you receive such threats merely for supporting students, you understand how deeply this intimidation culture is embedded."
The Morcha also responded to recent statements from the Panjab University Teachers Association and Panjab University Staff Association, which alleged that the agitation was disrupting academics and creating safety concerns for women employees. Student leaders labeled these remarks as "misleading" and reflective of the administration's attempt to discredit legitimate protests rather than addressing the core issue of stalled Senate elections.
Ashmeet Singh, vice-president of PUCSC, countered, "These staff bodies remained conspicuously silent when the Senate was being systematically eroded. Now they're echoing the administration's narrative by portraying students as disruptive elements. Teachers and staff are equal stakeholders in the university's democratic framework, and their own Senate representation is at risk. They should be defending the institution's democratic structure, not assisting the administration in undermining it."
