Polls stir debate on saffronisation

ON a rain-soaked afternoon in Chandigarh, the Panjab University campus was recently lively with celebrations. Gaurav Veer Sohal, a 27-year-old law research scholar, wet from the rain, but happy, was holding a laddoo in his hand. All around him, supporters were shouting " zindabad " and pledging their allegiance to the ABVP. For the first time since 1977, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student wing of the RSS, had secured the presidency of the Panjab University Campus Students' Council (PUCSC). The result is significant as it is also an indication of the broader changes seen in student movements.