New Delhi, February 18 The Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) urged the university administration to reconsider its order imposing a month-long ban on public meetings, processions, and protests on campus, calling the move undesirable.
Delhi University (DU) announced the ban on Tuesday, citing concerns over obstruction of traffic, threats to safety, and disturbance of public peace.
In a letter to the Registrar, DUTA stated that such a comprehensive restriction "has never been imposed in the history of Delhi University."
The teachers' association also raised concerns about the impact on scheduled programmes in the coming month, including the DU Flower Show, annual cultural festivals, awareness programmes, and Holi Milan events.
"Imposing a ban on such cultural events is unacceptable. The university should exempt this category of social and cultural events from the purview of this order," the letter dated February 17 stated.
While acknowledging that maintaining peace and harmony during public gatherings is desirable, the teachers' body said "a total ban on open public activities is totally undesirable" and asked the university to reconsider the decision.
Meanwhile, a few DU colleges have postponed their programmes without providing specific reasons. Senior officials at Ramanujam College in the south campus confirmed that their annual programme has been postponed. "We will notify the new dates later," a senior college official said.
Furthermore, Kalindi College principal Meena Charanda said that the college's sports day was cancelled due to the weather. "Our sports day was scheduled for Tuesday, but we cancelled it due to rain," the principal said.
The Congress's student wing, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), posted on X that the move reflects a growing pattern of fear towards student unity and resistance.
"Silencing students will not solve problems; it will only expose the administration's unwillingness to listen. NSUI strongly condemns this anti-student order and will continue to stand firm in defence of students' democratic rights, freedom of expression, and constitutional values," NSUI posted on X.