Chandigarh: It’s one of India’s oldest universities, with a rich historical legacy. So when the Centre made a move to centralise it, Punjab was not going to take it lying down. Hundreds of students and others hit the street last week. They had a clear message—the university is Punjab’s historical legacy; any attempt to shake that bond was unacceptable.

The slogans weren’t just aimed at reclaiming their university, but also the very identity of Punjab. “ Mithi dhun rabab di; Panjab University Punjab di. Sooha phul gulab da; Chandigarh Panjab da (Sweet is the melody of the rabab, Panjab University belongs to Punjab. Red is the rose, Chandigarh belongs to Punjab),” the protesters chanted.

The roots of the protest lie in the Centre’s 28 October move to modify the composition of the syndic

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