Why does Odisha, otherwise peaceful, see so much violence in its college campuses? With four of the state’s biggest institutions cancelling elections to the student unions citing violence,asks what causes it and how the very people it affects most – the students – react to it.Soon after the admission session is over in degree colleges and universities in the state, poll aspirants get started on what could only be referred to as ground work. From posters welcoming newcomers, the campaign process rises to a crescendo in the course of the two months between admissions and the festival holidays. In the middle, are usually the student body elections.Violent outbursts between groups supported by student outfits affiliated to political parties, naturally, increase as the election date approaches.“If a candidate does not find support among students of his institution, he will start threatening the popular candidate. He or she will bully the popular candidate to create a fear psychosis among others,” said Rajat Parida, outgoing president of Rajdhani College’s student’s union.Tearing up of posters, lewd comments aimed at a candidate and covert smear campaigns against aspirants often snowball into rampant altercations.However, the government decision to allow principals and vice-chancellors of colleges and universities to cancel elections if they see unrest in their campuses has made it possible for the rule to be used as a ploy by ‘weak’ candidates. “Sometimes they throw crude bombs in the campus or engage non-students to attack a popular leader in order to create violence just for the sake of it. It had happened in Utkal University and BJB College last year and these compel institution authorities to cancel the election,” said Ratan Digal, a former student leader of Utkal University.The students, both day scholars and residents, would rather opt for a peaceful solution. Many would rather dissociate themselves from activism along political lines rather than court such drama. “After violence, the authorities declare the institution closed and we hostel inmates have to leave the campus at a short notice. Classes are suspended. We always distance ourselves from this type of disturbance in the campus,” said Amit Meher, a PG first-year student of Sambalpur University, one of the institutions that have cancelled the polls.Utkal University, Ravenshaw University North Orissa University and colleges like Rajdhani College, DR Nayapalli College and Jaydev College in Bhubaneswar and several others across the state have done the same.“Voting allows citizens to have a say in decision making. But we cannot allow hooliganism in the name of an election,” said Rajani Ranjan Das, principal of the DR Nayapalli College, Bhubaneswar.Amid the spectre of violence, campaigns have intensified in the few campuses which will go to polls on October 11 – many of whom have been branded ‘sensitive’ enough for higher education minister Ananta Das to keep a close eye on. “We have asked the director general of police and state home secretary to deploy police forces in the colleges which have seen violence recently. We hope to conduct peaceful elections,” Das said.Two years of cancelled elections at Utkal has shifted the political focus of the state capital to the campus of Ramadevi Women’s University. Former presidents of the students’ union like Megha Kanungo and outgoing president Soubhagya Soumyashree Samal have been supervising campaigns for their chosen candidate Swikruti Mishra.Debasmita Das, the outgoing general secretary, also has her hands full running Swikruti’s campaign. “We had a massive win last year. We have also adopted the same principle this year. We have selected the right candidates and started a well-coordinated campaign. We will win this year too,” said a confident Das.Her ‘well-coordinated’ campaigns might refer to massive social media efforts that ensure no fellow student misses a post. The candidates not only visit classrooms and homes of the students, they have even been known to distribute packets of biryani and chocolates to garner support.On Friday night, Berhampur University became the latest institution to cancel its campus polls. Diptimayee Biswaranjan Sethy, a student of BU, who feels that voting is his right, is one to appreciate the importance of elected leaders. “It is a democratic right. Some students may vote for a candidate for the sake of friendship and fellow feeling, because ultimately it must be acknowledged that in the time of need, a union can help us,” said Sethy.

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