Post-graduate students of the Central Institute of Fisheries Education, (CIFE) Mumbai launched a protest on Tuesday to demand resignation of the institute's director. Students allege that director Dr W S Lakra's son comes with his friends and uses the tennis lawn and football ground at the institute, depriving students when they need the premises.
Students said this had been happening for several months.
The protest began after a verbal altercation between the director's son and a few students in the lawn tennis ground around 6 pm on January 4, when they asked for the use of the ground but were allegd;y verbally abused.
According to students, on the director another son was using the indoor stadium along with outsider girl and a boy when the timing of using it is 5pm-9pm.
A protester said on the condition of anonymity, "The director's son had celebrated New Year's on the institute premises, bringing outsiders with him. How is this allowed? The institute premises are meant only for students."
Another student said, "The issue was communicated to the dean (students welfare), sports in-charge, and warden, but none of the officials took a note of this. Students feel like orphans. We are not even provided fellowships on time."
Dr W S Lakra could not be reached for comment as he was at the Indian Science Congress on Tuesday.
Anandan P S, senior scientist and security officer, said on behalf of the institute, "The director has already apologised on behalf of his son. What more can be done now? The students were told that they were welcome to speak with the authorities, but they chose to protest in front of the gate, and locked it from inside, restricting entry for faculty and other members. The director's son merely participated in the New Year's party, which was organized by students themselves. The children of faculty members who stay on campus are also allowed to use facilities like playground etc.
"The students are unnecessarily making an issue. Even today, they are protesting in the TV room on the ground floor, after locking the room from inside."
The Versova police was called in at the institute, but no case was registered against the students as the protest was confined to the institute premises.
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