GUWAHATI, May 2 ?The Assam Agricultural University and colleges under the varisty have been closed down for an indefinite period from 6 pm today followeing vandalism by a group of students. The varsity authorities also asked the students to vacate their hostels immediately in order to maintain peace in the campus. A university release said that the students forcefully entered the chamber of the Vice-Chanchellar (VC) about 10.30 am today, snapped all telephone connections and started shouting slogans demanding resignation of the VC and relieving Dr P C Deka from the post of Dean. To pacify the situation and to prevent any untoward incidents, the VC finally signed his ?resignation letter? under duress, the release added.
The release further said that the agitated students also started rampaging the other chambers of the university leading to a serious situation. The students later gheraoed the Dean of Faculty of Agriculture who then signed the ?resignation letter?. The district administration later acted promptly and saved the situation from deteriorating further. It is learnt that a section of vested interest circle in association with some students have been trying to destroy the academic environment of the university for the last couple of months. To overcome the problem, the university authorities have held several rounds of discussions with the students in a bid to solve the problem. But the students have refused to accept the offer of the authorities.
Our Biswanath Chariali Correspondent adds : Following the humiliation of the Vice-Chancellor and the Dean of the Assam Agriculture University by the students this morning, the situation in Biswanath College of Agriculture (BNCA) also became tense. Fearing occurance of similar incidents, Dr Prahlad Das, Associate Dean of the college today declared an indifinite halt to classes and dircted the college students to vacate the hostel within this evening. It may be mentioned that in consonance with the varsity students, the BNCA boys were also demanding resignagion of the Associate Dean alleging corruption and mismanagement. Though no untoward incidents have taken place at the college till now, a police force has been deployed in the campus as a precautionary measure.