Pune: Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has begun restricting through traffic on its campus, allowing entry primarily to those visiting the university for official work.However, morning and evening walkers and others using its green spaces for exercise will continue to be allowed, university officials said.The university had earlier attempted to restrict public entry through a circular but faced opposition. This time, there is no formal circular, with security personnel questioning visitors at the gates. From Saturday onwards, people said they were told that entry is restricted due to the CJP protest, a reason university officials said they were unaware of.Prafulla Pawar, registrar of the university, said the campus roads were opened to public traffic during the Covid-19 pandemic after the Ganeshkhind Road flyover was demolished and reconstruction began. The civic body and traffic police had requested access through the university to ease congestion at University Circle. With the new bridge now being complete, the university is reverting to its earlier arrangement, officials said, adding that unnecessary traffic on campus poses risks and inconveniences for students.Asked by TOI on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, security guards said there were orders from higher-ups not to allow any outsider inside the university. “Even walkers and others coming for exercise are allowed only through the main gate till 8am and for a fixed time in the evening,” said one of the guards.A four-wheeler with two college students was not allowed through the SPPU BC Joshi Gate towards Range Hills. Stuti Angre, the student, said, “We wanted to visit the main building because it is a heritage structure and take some pictures. But we were told that outsiders are not allowed. How can a public university do that?”All student unions have also opposed this move. Ankita Tiwari, ABVP secretary, SPPU, said, “Over the past few days, security personnel have been using heavy-handed tactics to intimidate students studying at the university. While student safety must undoubtedly be a priority for the university, resorting to such methods of intimidation is unacceptable.”Students also called out the lack of clear written instructions to the security guards, making the entire process chaotic. “Over the past few days, the SPPU administration has imposed restrictions on entry and exit without issuing any public notice. Security has been stepped up at the main gate, IUCAA gate and Joshi gate. The gate near the police station has been completely shut, while the area around the main building has been cordoned off. Who exactly is the vice-chancellor afraid of? It is wrong to inconvenience students and citizens in this manner. The university administration must clarify its position through a written communication,” Rahul Sasane, president, University Students’ Struggle Action Committee, Maharashtra State, said.Students Federation of India also protested the undeclared ban on students sitting in groups inside the corridors of the main building or the lawn behind it along with the restriction on the public. “A public university is a centre for education, freedom of thought and democratic values. Students have the right to sit, move around, play and organise cultural activities on the university campus. Imposing restrictions on students’ freedom of movement in the name of protests and creating a military base on campus undermine the university’s democratic environment. The university administration must immediately stop this practice. Otherwise, the SFI’s university unit will launch a widespread protest,” said Pawan Jadhav, treasurer, SFI university unit.However, registrar Pawar objected to the words “restrictive access” and said that they have just reverted to the old way. “The security guards are only enquiring where a person wants to go. We are not stopping anyone from accessing the university. The traffic inside the university has increased so much that it is becoming a nuisance for large number of students who walk from one place to the other and also a security threat. Hence, people using it as a way to go from one place to other are being restricted as it was before the bridge was demolished. There are no instructions to stop walkers,” said Pawar.
