Mismanagement mars youth fest

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, January 16

Mismanagement and lack of coordination marred the 21st National Youth Festival-2017 organised on the campus of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) here and other institutions/locations in the town from January 12 to 16.

Chaotic scenes were witnessed at the event venues, especially last evening. There were rampant allegations of policemen misbehaving with visitors, including senior faculty members of the host university.

Several faculty members of the MDU have taken umbrage at the disrespect meted out to them during the festival. Some of them have expressed their deep resentment on the social media.

Prof Harish Kumar of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication stated that the policemen deployed on the campus stopped his car on several occasions. “I went to watch the musical concert organised on the university campus yesterday, but the police personnel present there did not allow me to enter the venue. The rude behaviour of the cops was hurting and painful,” the professor maintained.

Dr Ashwani Dhingra, former president of the MDU Teachers Association, expressed shock and anguish at the university authorities for not caring to invite even the senior faculty members to the youth festival.

Many other teachers of the university also had complaints of disrespect and discourteous behaviour.

Dean (Students Welfare) Prof Raj Kumar, who was a co-coordinator of the National Youth Festival, admitted that despite their best efforts, the entry of visitors had to be restricted as the crowds became “unmanageable”. He, however, maintained that the organising committees were constituted to take care of various aspects, including invitation to the faculty members.

Mismanagement was witnessed in the VVIP, VIP and media galleries.

Officials of the state government’s Department of Information and Public Relations as well as MDU Public Relations Department occupied seats along with their family members while many guests having VVIP and VIP passes were sent back.