Students demand ban on lorries near campus

Students demand ban on lorries near campus

The Hindu

Anger, grief and frustration manifested on the streets near Mount Carmel College here as over 2,500 students on Monday protested against the death of their 19-year-old college mate, Susan Sara, who was mowed down by a tipper-lorry on Saturday. They raised slogans against the entry of lorries in the area during working hours; they demanded immediate action from the authorities concerned.

The atmosphere near the college was charged; some students were in tears and some in a state of shock. With classes called off and the college union determined to express its anger, the turnout for the protest was huge. The crowd carried large banners screaming slogans against a construction company that engaged the truck, which ran over Susan.

The students wanted the Commissioner of Police, S. Mariswamy, to hear them.

Tension

There was tension as some students threw eggs and tomatoes at the construction site and brought down the builder's signboards. The Additional Commissioner of Police, K.V. Ravindranath Tagore, visited the spot. He said it was against rules to allow lorries close to the campus during college hours.

But this did not pacify the students. They wanted an assurance in writing from the Police Commissioner to appoint a constable to regulate traffic in the area and take action against those harassing students of the college. "This protest is staged because the Police Commissioner did not respond to a students' petition in August. The students approached him after a first year pre-university student, Shruthi, fractured her leg in a road accident involving a lorry," said Kripa, pre-university course students' leader.

Mr. Tagore assured the students that the police would consider their petition and order an investigation.

He promised to take action against the builders who had let in the trucks on the service road outside the campus during college hours. A police officer at the spot drew attention to the construction activity going on the campus and the presence of lorries there.

But the degree college principal, Sister Jesuina said those lorries were allowed only early in the morning and after college hours.

"Not a single pebble has been hurt so far because of the construction," she said.

Traffic was disrupted on all roads leading to the college for about three hours. Vehicle-users and traffic constables had a tough time dealing with the chaos.