It’s been almost two and a half years since I came for my graduation studies to Cotton College, which is one of the most prestigious institutions of Assam. The very first day of my college I noticed one thing — that the students in my college were not very keen at taking care of their age-old college property. The desks were scribbled over and broken, and nobody was bothered to even replace them. Things have been going the same the same way for ages and till date nobody has taken any initiative to do something about it.
One thing which truly surprised me was when I saw a small shanty area right inside my college campus while I was waking towards the canteen area with my friends. I wouldn’t have termed it a "slum" area had there been some construction work going on inside the college campus because the workers generally make makeshift houses to stay during that time. But this was something which truly amazed me. I was stunned and stood there for a while and tried to figure out what I saw and observed was exactly all about.
Since then, I always made it a point to stand near that area everyday to find out what exactly these people do and why they are here. I even tried asking my seniors but nobody was even bothered to listen to me for they didn’t care much about it. After my close observation I found that the people who stayed in that area are not the college workers or the people who are associated with the college campus by any means.
But the question is who permitted them to construct their houses inside the college campus. They have no right to occupy any government property without any permission, I guess. And why didn’t anyone bother to stop them at the initial stage? The married women and their children who stay in that area happily and freely move around inside the campus without ant fear because there is no proper wall or fencing worth the name. Their pet animals are always left free for grazing in the college field by the people who have occupied that area.
The fact is everyone who passes by the canteen area notices this part of the college but nobody is bothered to speak up because they are not sure for what reason these people have occupied that area nor they have any valid proof. When I tried my best to ask people about it the only advice I got from my friends and seniors is that "just don’t bother."
I wonder what will happen to the age old campus of Cotton College after a few years. We being the students of this prestigious institution are not being able to raise any voice towards preserving our campus because there is no one who would listen to us. But I am sure if we take this matter with higher authorities something can surely be done. I seriously wonder if these people continue to expand their area within the college campus, the day is not too far when the whole college campus will be taken over by these encroachers.