On November 10, 2017, more than 100 hooligans entered the IIT (BHU) campus on motorcycles and disturbed the peace. They engaged in violence with our security guards, hurled abuses at our students, and issued an overt threat to all future activities to be conducted in IIT (BHU). All this happened despite the authorities being in full knowledge of the malicious intent of some anti-social elements to sabotage a cultural event that was previously scheduled to be held later in the evening that day.

This incident is neither new nor surprising for the students of IIT (BHU). We’ve been facing an active threat to our security ever since we signed up for IIT (BHU) after JEE. We’ve been beaten up by miscreants in our own campus, and even in our hostels. We’ve seen petrol bombs being flung at us by rogues, and have been constantly subjected to intimidation by scoundrels. All this has been possible because our IIT has an open campus, situated inside the BHU campus, which permits free entry to anyone and everyone, without any security checks. Moreover, the entire security system of IIT (BHU) is largely dependent on the BHU Proctorial Board.

Over the years, in spite of several security crises, nothing substantial has been done to address our security concerns—repeated incidents bear testimony to this fact. It should be incumbent upon the administrative and security authorities of the institute to ensure the safety of IIT students. But our morale received a severe blow when the authorities openly relinquished the responsibility of providing security to us. We have totally lost our faith in the institute administration to guarantee our safety, and there is a feeling of grave insecurity and terror amongst the IIT (BHU) students. Regular incidents with the IIT students and the apathy of the administration have rendered all of us concerned about our well-being.

We, the students of IIT (BHU), earnestly request the central government to intervene in this matter and provide a permanent solution to the security problems of our IIT, so that we can study and work in a peaceful environment, and play our small role in the process of nation-building.