KARACHI: Rival student groups clash at two city colleges: SPLA announces strike today
By Mukhtar Alam
KARACHI, Nov 18: The teacher’s community has decided to observe strike at college level on Saturday following some incidents of hooliganism in two colleges on Friday and the humiliation suffered by faculty members.
According to education circle, the ugly incidents involving two groups of students and teachers took place at the S. M. Arts and Commerce College and D. J. Science College at around 10am. One student, reportedly an activist of a student group, was injured in the violence.
The trouble started first at the S. M. Arts College when two groups of students indulged in altercation with each other and turned violent. They then left the premises at around 10.15am.
Later, one of the rival groups entered the premises of the D. J. Science College and tried to disrupt the academic process there. The intruders not only instigated the students but also indulged in altercations and exchanged harsh words with teachers who were asking them to calm down and refrain from creating unrest, said a source.
The fuss at the D. J. College continued for half an hour and was put to rest only after arrival of some police mobiles.
In the meantime, members of one group also created scene at a study centre belonging to its rival group and caused damage to property there.
Teachers of D. J. College held a meeting after the incident, which they termed ‘highly shameful’ and ‘uncalled for’. In a resolution, the meeting said that members of one student organization misbehaved with teachers, called abuses for them, pelted some vehicles with stones, dismantled the Physics laboratory and terrified the students who were busy in their academic courses at the college.
The teachers at the college decided to put off teaching activities for an indefinite period and demanded immediate arrest of the elements involved in the incident of hooliganism at their college. They complained about the ineffectiveness of the police personnel deployed at the college and demanded foolproof arrangements for the restoration of academic sanctity.
In view of the situation, the Sindh Professors and Lecturers’ Association gave a strike call on Saturday. A meeting of the college teachers’ body, chaired by Prof Manzoor H. Chishti, condemned the alleged manhandling of teachers and noted that hooligans were given safe passage by the law-enforcing agency present at the D. J. College.
The SPLA demanded that academic institutions should be made free of political and disorderly groups. The D. J. teachers identified the troublemakers as Furqan, Adil and Nasir.
Prof Ravi Shankar, Principal of the D. J. College, also condemned the incident and stressed the need for maintaining the sanctity of the college and ensuring safety of the teachers.
Teaching was partially affected as the outsiders caused unrest among students and teachers, he added, saying that immediately after the incident, he had informed the relevant authorities, including police high-ups and senior officials of the Sindh education department.
Principal of the S. M. Arts and Commerce College, Prof Jalaluddin Chowhan said that by the time he came to know about altercation and muscle-flexing, the troublemakers had already left the college premises. He said that sound of firing was also heard from within the college vicinity later.
While the EDO (Higher Education) could not be reached despite efforts, the District Officer Colleges, Munawwar Shafiq, said that some incidents had taken place at S. M. College and D. J. College, but he had very sketchy details. “I have heard that officials have sent some reports to the EDO office, details of which are yet to be received at my office,” she added.
In the meantime, the two major student organizations, Islami Jamiat Talaba and All Pakistan Muhajir Students Organizations issued press statements accusing each other of breaching the academic peace.
The IJT said that 60-70 armed activists of the APMSO and MQM tortured its workers at the S. M. Arts College and the D. J. Science College on Friday morning without any provocation. They also attacked the Al-Badr Education Centre and torched some property, including books, there, said IJT Karachi Nazim Syed Tahir Akbar.
The IJT claimed that the area police kept their eyes closed while the attackers played havoc with the educational places. The IJT will observe ‘black day’ on Nov 19 to condemn the attacks.
The APMSO, rejecting the allegations of torture and manhandling of students and teachers, termed the incidents a conspiracy to sabotage peaceful atmosphere of educational institutions in the city.
At a press conference, APMSO leaders said that around 80 IJT activists attacked activists of the APMSO at the S. M. Arts College and injured Unit In-charge Hasan Tufail, Ali and Kamran. They said that another two activists were injured at the D. J. Science College.
KARACHI, Nov 18: The teacher’s community has decided to observe strike at college level on Saturday following some incidents of hooliganism in two colleges on Friday and the humiliation suffered by faculty members.
