Tension in Gauhati University over NSUI flag

Guwahati, Aug 20 : A tense situation prevailed at Gauhati University premise here today when a group of students prevented the start of the annual Youth Festival, protesting hoisting of the flag of a student body with political affiliation.

Trouble erupted soon after the flag hoisting ceremony to mark the start of the festival, in which hundreds of students from various colleges under the University are participating.

A section of students, mostly of All Assam Students Union (AASU), protested the hoisting of the NSUI flag in the University. They pointed out that no tributes were paid to the 855 martyrs of the Assam Agitation, which is a tradition of the University. Some students also alleged that few hostels were not given formal invitation to participate in the festival.

Post-Graduate Students Union general secretary Pallavi Saikia, accepting responsibility for failing to pay tribute to the martyrs memory, sought to pacify the agitating students by assuring to ratify the mistake.

She assured the students that earthen lamps will be lit in the evening in memory of the martyrs. However, Pallavi refused to bring down the NSUI flag, though promising that no union leader will be invited as guest in any of the function.

The agitating students finally allowed the festival to proceed and called off their protest later in the noon.