Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first face-to-face interaction with Gen Z after the Jantar Mantar upheaval comes swathed in gun-toting security and suffocating restrictions, worlds away from the freewheeling spirit that defines the youngsters.
Students at IIT Delhi campus, where Modi will hand out degrees and deliver a speech at Saturday’s convocation, are complaining of “harassment” in the form of ID and metal-detector checks and the disruption of academic and daily activities.
“Whenever we leave or return to the hostel, our bags are minutely searched by campus security staff even though we haven’t stepped out of the campus,” a student said.
Others complained about the ban on bags and water bottles, for both students and their visiting parents, at the venue — a sign of the authorities’ fear of possible heckling.
“The government maybe looking to reach out to young students because of the Cockroach Janta Party protests. The IIT Delhi invite has provided that platform,” a faculty member at the institute said.
“They confirmed (his acceptance) on the day the Prime Minister posted his first Instagram video addressed to Gen Z. This will be his first direct interaction with Gen Z after the protests. So they are careful about avoiding sloganeering or any protests.”
Over 3,000 students are to receive their degrees. While Modi will present gold medals to nine students, the overwhelming majority of graduates will receive their degrees from other guests during the second half of the programme.
Vedic mantras will be chanted three times, including once when Modi is present.
The Prime Minister is to arrive at 11am and deliver his address from 11.35. The second half starts from 12.30pm, by when he would have left.
Police and paramilitary in khaki and camouflage fatigues have taken over the campus, with metal detectors installed in the buildings and barricades set up on the roads.
The institute has issued several circulars spelling out the curbs on the use of campus facilities and the movement of vehicles on Saturday.
In line with directions received from Delhi Police and security agencies, the IIT’s security unit on Thursday issued a circular on the protocols to be followed.
Shops on the campus such as the Mother Dairy and Safal outlets, as well as Neelkanth Market near Gate No. 2, must remain closed till 4pm on Saturday.
The MSB Computer Centre, Central Library, and labs will remain closed from 6pm on Friday until the ceremony ends.
“Entry into Dogra Hall (convocation venue) and Main Building will not be allowed with mobiles, bags, remote devices, or restricted items. Cloakroom facilities will be available at LHC area, IRD Gate, and Library side,” the circular said.
Two master’s students and a PhD scholar said the security checks had become an ordeal.
“One day, two students were returning to the campus in the night when the security staff asked them to show their IDs. They had soft copies of their IDs,” a student said.
“The security started asking the reasons for going out and for returning late, and what they were doing outside. In the name of security checks, they are harassing students.”
A student who will receive her degree on Saturday said: “The convocation dress rehearsal was a joke. They’ve designed the whole event around the Prime Minister.”
She added: “The organisers are not answering any questions about where our parents must wait during the first half since they’re not allowed in during Modi’s slot. Our parents won’t be allowed to carry umbrellas or water bottles. When we asked them how this is even humane, they had nothing to say.”
Students have been instructed on how low to bow their heads when they receive their medals from Modi, the chief guest. They have been told to stand up during the Vedic chants.
“Usually, the degrees are distributed in the first half. So the parents of some of my friends who are graduating had planned to leave later in the day,” she said.
“Now they’re distributing degrees in the second half and their parents already have their return tickets booked. So they won’t be able to see their children receive their degrees.”
Another student said: “All this looks like a publicity ploy to launch the new education minister and whitewash the Centre’s image after the student protests across the country.”
Modi had attended the IIT Delhi convocation virtually in 2020. This year, sources said, the PMO sat on the institute’s invitation for over a month. When the CJP protest was at its peak, the PMO confirmed Modi would attend the event.
An email was sent to IIT Delhi director Rangan Banerjee, seeking the institute’s perspectives on the students’ concerns about the heightened security, on Friday evening. His response is awaited.
