Protest against exams during Dasara holidays in K'taka college, students detained

Mangaluru: Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and students staged a protest in front of a college in Karnataka's Mangaluru on Monday, opposing the conduct of semester examinations during the ongoing Dasara festival holidays. The protesting students boycotted the examinations, blocked the college's main gate and prevented police vehicles from moving, following which police detained several ABVP activists and students.

The protest was held against the college management's decision to hold semester examinations from October 12 to 28 despite objections from students. The protesters demanded that the examinations be postponed to allow students to participate in the Dasara festivities and spend time with their families.

The College, located in Bendurwell, Mangaluru, had reportedly been informed about the students' objections before the examinations began. The students said they had submitted a memorandum to the management requesting that the examination schedule be changed. However, they alleged that the management had not responded to their demands.

A section of students boycotted the examinations and staged a sit-in at the college's main gate. The ABVP extended its support to the agitation, and a memorandum was also submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Mangaluru district, seeking intervention in the matter.

As the protest intensified, police personnel reached the spot and detained students and ABVP activists who continued their agitation by blocking the main entrance. When the police attempted to take the detained protesters away in their vehicles, other students and ABVP activists stood in front of the vehicles, preventing them from moving. Some protesters even lay down in front of the police vehicles.

Unable to move, the police vehicles had to be parked along the roadside as the protesters continued raising slogans, including "We want justice". The students insisted that they would not leave the spot until the detained ABVP activists and fellow students were addressed.

Several girl students expressed their disappointment over the examination schedule, stating that Dasara was an important festival in Mangaluru and that they wanted an opportunity to participate in the celebrations.

"Dasara in Mangaluru is a big festival, and we want to be part of it. The college can continue regular classes during this period; we have no objection to that. Being Hindus, we want to visit temples, participate in the festivities and spend time with our families. Don't we have any feelings? How many days of the holidays will be declared for Christmas? Won't they enjoy their festival?" a protesting student asked.

Another student alleged that management had scheduled important subject examinations during the festival despite being aware of the significance.

"The management is asking us to write today's examination. How can we do that? Even if we lose an entire academic year for not writing the examinations, we do not mind. We want the right to celebrate our festival. The management has deliberately scheduled examinations in major subjects during the Dasara festivities. Don't they know that it is a major festival?" she asked.

The students also questioned why the college was unwilling to postpone the examinations when other colleges were reportedly making changes to their schedules. They said their seniors had informed them that examinations had not been conducted during the Dasara festival in the previous year.

A first-year student said the examinations for her batch were scheduled to begin on Tuesday, prompting students to launch the protest on Monday itself to press for a change in the schedule.

The protesters demanded that the college principal come to the spot and formally announce the postponement of the examinations. However, the college management proceeded with the examinations as scheduled.

ABVP leaders alleged that the management was indifferent to students' concerns and warned that the agitation could intensify if their demands were not met.

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