In s-3 the college management unjustly dismissed anand ch and shyam of our batch on trumped up charges of ragging.Back then the management had a ritual of dismissing at least 1 or 2 students every year for the charge of ragging,usually from the 2nd year.It gave the college an image of being strict against ragging.They didn't get a big ragging case that year so they got a small one and blew it up,adding their own invented details and passing them for facts.Funny thing was, even the then 1st year students who were supposed to be the victims, said they had no complaint at all and that the college authorities prepared a complaint and made them sign it, threatening them with internal marks and similar things. Anand was always a good student who until then had no arrears and a good aggregate. Everyone liked him. We were stunned when we heard of the college decision. But no amount of pleading would change the minds of the management who saw only their business interests and ego on backtracking on a decision they had made. It didnt matter if the decision was right or wrong. They wouldnt compromise their ego. So they threw them out. Our whole year went on strike for 2 days. Every boy and girl in s-3. No amount of threats could convince even a single person to stop striking. The whole year - ec,mech,electrical,computer,civil refused to re-enter class if the dismissed students werent admitted back. So on the second day the college gave a mass suspension to our whole year. The girls hostel authorities told them at 4.30 pm to clear out by 5.30 pm. Many of the girls were from places a good distance from the college. Basically the college had asked around 50 girls to get out of their rooms and look after themselves at dusk.The other students were outraged. So everyone went and sat on the road at the gates, blocking the college buses from leaving.And they werent going to let anyone leave unless the girls were allowed to stay at least till next morning.At first they threatened to call the police but when that didnt faze anyone they gave permission for the girls to stay till next morning.Thats how the bus blocking ended.After that the management threatened to give a ragging police case against anand and shyam. The dismissed student's parents couldnt take that risk. So they decided to accept the injustice they were already served so that their kids wouldnt suffer more.
Thus the strike ended.
The college authorities branded the striking students as show offs and found lots of innovative ways to pick on them and punish them from then on.They now claim it was our strike that made it impossible for them to take the students back.We know how far that is from the truth.The strike was called because it was our last resort. But thats whats the college authorities says now.
Anand ch and shyam were never taken back.They are both studying in other colleges now.Havent had any news from shyam in a long time but anand is doing well.He flunked a few papers in that semester but he has cleared it all now and is doing well now.The well wishes of around 300 of their batchmates go with them.Even though teachers and college authorities stopped seeing them as one of their charges, they remain one of us forever...........
