Tezpur: As Assam mourned the irreparable loss of music icon Zubeen Garg, Tezpur University faced criticism for displaying blatant insensitivity and administrative arrogance.
The university administration has come under fire from students for holding the Tezpur University Students’ Council (TUSC) elections on September 21, right in the middle of the three-day state mourning declared for the late singer, a move seen as disregarding the grief of millions across Assam and the Northeast.
For students, faculty, and the wider community who regarded Zubeen Garg not just as an artiste but as a cultural movement, a voice of identity, and a member of every Assamese household, the decision was nothing short of a betrayal.
Tensions escalated further when students demanded an apology from Vice Chancellor Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh, who allegedly dismissed their appeal with the remark, “Don’t make it funny.” Students described the remark as “undignified” and “unbecoming” of the head of a central university.
The insensitivity of the administration has sparked massive student protests on campus. Students, already enduring an environment of fear and repression under this administration, staged peaceful demonstrations through the night, waiting without food until 4:30 a.m. for the Vice Chancellor to return and address their concerns. Instead, the VC refused to apologise and abandoned the meeting midway.
Ironically, even the university security officer, whose photograph went viral after he was seen wearing shoes at Zubeen Garg’s shradhanjali, apologised to the public after a clarification. But the Vice Chancellor of Tezpur University has refused to show the same basic human decency.
Students have submitted a memorandum with specific demands, but instead of addressing them, the authorities have chosen to silence dissent.
On September 23, as the people of Assam mourned Zubeen Garg’s last rites, the Tezpur University administration met behind closed doors to advance the Autumn Recess from September 29 to September 24, a move widely seen as intended to disperse student protests and send them home.
This move reeks of escapism and suppression. This is the same Tezpur University that has consistently denied holidays for regional occasions and festivals, but now, to cover up its insensitivity and irregularities, it has rushed to shut down classes without citing any reasons.
A former student of Tezpur University strongly condemned the administration’s repeated disregard for students, “He has always disrespected the students. Never treated students as the prime of the university, for him and the whole TU administration, it is all about sitting in AC rooms. Even a scholarship processing takes months under the Dean R&D and Finance Department. The rot runs deep.”
Notably, Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh has already faced cases related to financial anomalies in his previous university, raising further questions about accountability and transparency.
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Students alleged that under his tenure, the university has experienced a steady decline, with frequent power outages, water shortages in hostels, increasing mismanagement, and a drop in its rankings.
The students are demanding that the Vice Chancellor apologize for his remarks and that the university ensure accountability in its administration.
