In Himachal, ABVP hits streets against education costs

Supporters of the students' outfit claim that though the ABVP is aligned with the RSS, it is not affiliated to any party and “is not the political wing of BJP”.




Demanding education, civic and policy reforms, the ABVP has been organising lockdowns, gheraos and hunger strikes against the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh for the past two weeks.

Supporters of the students’ outfit claim that though the ABVP is aligned with the RSS, it is not affiliated to any party and “is not the political wing of BJP”. The outfit has organised protests in state capital Shimla, Dharamsala and other towns in the Himachal Pradesh.

“The government is making education expensive and liquor cheaper. It is all a business for them, but students will tolerate none of this,” said Vishal Verma, an ABVP supporter and a student of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU). Vishal, who took part in a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Shimla on Saturday, was referring to the new excise policy passed by the state cabinet on Monday, lowering prices of liquor and extending operational timings of bars in all star-rated hotels in some tourist areas till 2 am.

“On the other hand, the government is charging exorbitant fees at institutes of higher learning. The fee structure at two universities of agriculture and horticulture is among the highest in the country,” alleged Rahul Rana, ABVP’s state secretary.

Another bone of contention between the ABVP and the state government is the lack of a permanent campus for the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) , which has been running from a camp office and temporary campuses spread across three towns in Kangra district.

From February 8 to 20, ABVP units launched protests in various government colleges and district headquarters, shutting down the CUHP premises at Dharamshala for two days.

They relented only after Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur held talks with them and assured them that he will take up the matter with the Centre. State BJP president Dr Rajeev Bindal said ABVP is an independent organisation with a student-centric viewpoint.

“The relationship between ABVP and BJP is unlike the one between Congress and NSUI,” he added.

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