After AMU and Jamia, BHU students launch agitation for union polls, on hold for 3 decades

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) students have called for a march on October 28, Wednesday, demanding the restoration of an elected students’ union. The march has been called jointly by several student organisations,  including the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), All India Students’ Association (AISA), Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha and DISHA.  

The “March for Democracy” to “reclaim BHU Students Union” is from Vishwanath Temple (VT) on campus to the Students’ Union Building (DSW) and scheduled for late afternoon. BHU has been without a functioning elected union for three decades, since the mid-1990s, said students. 

The call comes amid renewed demands for elected students’ unions at universities across India. At Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), students have been protesting for the restoration of the union, dissolved in 2006. The university has agreed to hold elections within 15 days of approving the union’s constitution, but students continue to demand a fixed timeline, withdrawal of disciplinary action against students, the resignation of the chief security adviser, and the withdrawal of an order asking students to issue public apologies over allegedly defamatory statements and social media posts.

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At Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), the administration announced union elections for November 5 following a 20-day protest over the delay in holding polls. BHU students say they, too, want an elected body to represent their concerns before the university administration.

At Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the students’ union called off a 17-day protest on October 20 after the administration agreed to revoke the rustication of five JNUSU office-bearers. 

In Karnataka, the state government issued an order in September to revive student union elections after a gap of around 37 years.  

BHU: No union for 3 decades 

“There has been no students’ union at BHU for nearly 30 years. A student council was introduced in 2011-12, but it functioned for only a year before being discontinued. In 2014, another student council was announced, but it was not elected,” said Roshan Pandey, an AISA member and PhD scholar in sociology at BHU.

The last full student union election at BHU was held in 1996. The union was dissolved in February 1997 following campus violence.  

Panday said student organisations had jointly called the march and would decide their next steps based on response. He said they had submitted a memorandum to the university administration about a week ago but had received no response. 

BHU students call for restoration of student union elections. (Image: BHU students)

In a memorandum submitted to the dean of students on October 22, students demanded the restoration of student union elections and a time-bound schedule for conducting the polls. They said the absence of an elected union had left students without a common platform to raise issues with the administration. 

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The memorandum raised concerns about campus facilities, including internet and Wi-Fi access, library quality and timings. It also flagged women’s safety, alleging that security arrangements in women’s hostels were inadequate. Students said the lack of communication with the administration made it difficult to resolve grievances. 

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They asked the university to hold elections in line with the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations and set up a student-administration committee to address immediate concerns until an elected union is in place.

Vivek Rajput, an MA History student at BHU and an NSUI member, said developments at other universities had encouraged BHU students to raise the demand. He added that similar efforts had been made in the past but had not succeeded. “This time, we will make every effort to ensure that the demand is met,” Rajput said.