Panaji (Goa) Politically affiliated group of students at Goa University has demanded open elections for the forthcoming Goa University Students Union (GUSU) citing possible incidents of attacks on students and the kidnapping of elected representatives, as held in the past.

Three students’ organisations – National Students Union of India (NSUI), Nationalist Student Congress (NSC) and Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) have joined hands demanding a democratic students’ union election slated on October 16.

“The students of Goa have lost trust in the entire student election system with the recent incidents of attacks on student leaders, kidnapping of elected representatives and threatening them have taken place in the previous years. Students have started fearing to even get involved in the process,” the associations said in a joint petition to the GU Vice Chancellor and Registrar.

The students union has threatened not to allow the election process to be held if the authorities failed to act immediately against the illegal activities during the elections.

“If there is no open election from this year, kidnapping and attacks on the elected representatives will happen again, and when there is a threat to life on student leaders who we expect to grow as polished citizens of tomorrow, it is obvious that there is a fault in the current system and demand the system of elections to be changed from this year. The GU must take all these issues seriously and act immediately failing which we are optimistic and firm to unite and not allow university elections to take place,” reads the petition.