The authorities of Dera Natung Government College (DNGC), Itanagar, have appealed to the deputy commissioner of ICR to seek an alternative venue for the upcoming All Nyishi Students Union (ANSU) election. The union recently announced that the ANSU conference and election will be held at DNGC from October 30 to November 2. The DNGC authorities cited a packed academic schedule, including examinations, as the reason for not allowing the elections to be conducted on campus. This is a genuine concern, and both ANSU and the deputy commissioner should take it into account.
Conducting an election on the DNGC campus during the examination season is not feasible. Students and college authorities would face significant disruptions, compromising both the examination process and academic activities. Furthermore, in recent days, including Wednesday, the ANSU election process has been marred by violence, with clashes occurring between supporters of various candidates. The potential for violence on election day is quite high. If the election proceeds at DNGC and violence erupts, resulting in damage to college property, who will take responsibility for that? DNGC is the most prestigious college in the state, with students from various tribes and districts. The college’s reputation would suffer greatly if any violence were to occur during the ANSU election. Therefore, in the best interest of all parties involved, the election should be held at an alternative venue to avoid disrupting the academic activities of DNGC.