MANUU Students Link Land Row To Absence of Union

Minorities welfare minister Mohd Azharuddin had clarified that the state government had no intention of taking over the land, which would remain with the university. He told a news agency on Friday that the issue arose from an audit-related notice issued by the district administration, and the intention was to make the university to put the land to use.

In a statement issued by the Manuu Students Collective, students said the situation would not have escalated had a representative students’ union been in place to raise concerns and engage with authorities at an early stage. They pointed out that no union elections were conducted during the previous academic session and that nearly half of the current session had passed without student representation.

The collective said the withdrawal of the notice was the result of sustained student resistance, arguing that students were forced to mobilise outside institutional channels because there was no elected body to speak on their behalf. They described the episode as a failure of campus democracy rather than an isolated administrative issue.

Talha Mannan, a student leader, said the dispute exposed deeper gaps in student representation. “If a students’ union had existed, students would not have had to protest this way. There would have been a formal platform to question decisions and protect university interests,” he said.

The students demanded that the Vice-Chancellor immediately issue a notification for student union elections. They warned that any further delay would compel students to launch a mass agitation and said responsibility for any escalation would rest entirely with the university administration.