By: Tahzeeba Bukhari
In the semi-darkness of early dawn, when a thick veil rests upon the wide yet neat paths of Gujrat, thousands of students and innocent daughters wake up with hopes for their future, hailing not only from the city of Gujrat itself but also from far-flung districts including Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Jhelum, and the mountainous valleys of Azad Kashmir. Covering this long, arduous, and life-threatening terrestrial distance of thirty, fifty, and a hundred kilometers, when these young minds arrive at the threshold of this university, they carry a sparkle of the pursuit of knowledge that remains the greatest asset of any civilized society. However, upon stepping inside the university, these bright dreams transform into such a horrific mirage that despite depositing hefty transport and tuition fees amounting to hundreds of thousands of rupees every semester, the students are forced to think whether they have arrived at a higher educational institution or a house of torment.
Two decades ago, when the foundation of this institution was laid and the blood of visionary leadership pulsed through its administrative veins, this university appeared as a realization of dreams. Whether it was the governance era of Dr. Muhammad Nizamuddin or the student-friendly administrative mindset of that time, every step was taken to ensure that children from the marginalized segments and middle-class households of this region could adorn themselves with the jewel of knowledge without any economic or administrative suffocation. The transport system of that era was the true soul of this university—a subsidized and regularized system that truly provided an equivalent alternative to the fees collected every semester, offering students coming from distant cities a sense of security akin to their own homes. Yet, the ruthless blows of time, inexperience, and misplaced priorities have turned this garden into such an autumn-stricken wasteland where the shadows of administrative apathy now loom large on every side.
Unfortunately, the most tragic and prominent metaphor of this decline is the transport system that once served as the pride of this university. Today, the state of affairs is such that when students arriving after covering long and rugged journeys from Gujranwala, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, and Jhelum board the university buses, they are crammed like cattle. The pathetic condition of the buses makes the heart weep tears of blood; broken seats, smoke-emitting engines, and young people traveling beyond capacity all combine to generate a suffocating environment that negates human dignity. It is a matter of astonishment that the university administration recently spent an exorbitant sum of over 180 million rupees to purchase more than a dozen new vehicles, but the question arises: why are all those precious vehicles still rotting in the university yards? Why were they not brought onto the roads to remedy the agony of those students who are being humiliated and distressed despite paying heavy transport fees every semester? Are there hidden, nefarious nexuses behind this involving old transport contractors and corrupt officials who remain busy plundering the national exchequer with both hands?
This crisis is not merely limited to the hardship of commuting; rather, it is a living testament to the moral collapse of the entire administrative structure of this university. Today, the escalating incidents of harassment within the University of Gujrat and the piles of these worst cases presented during syndicate meetings are indicative of how deeply moral traditions have degraded within the campus. Parents who dispatch their daughters from a distance of a hundred kilometers with the hope that they are heading to a temple of learning remain engulfed in an unknown fear and anxiety throughout the day. When the internal condition of the buses is such that there is no guarantee of safety, how can one expect peace of mind or academic concentration to prevail there?
The root of all this destruction is actually the sycophantic clique occupying the highest positions of the university, whose sole purpose is the protection of personal interests and the distribution of favored contracts. From the thus-far controversial appointment of the Registrar to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Treasurer, Deans, Director ORIC, Director Quality Enhancement Cell, Director BIC, Director Purchase, Director Student Services, and Director Transport, dozens of key and sensitive positions either lie vacant for long periods or junior-most officers have been given a lollipop of additional charges to silence their voices. Is it not a tragedy that the administration of the university requires sycophantic minions devoid of competence, wisdom, and a sense of duty, who bow their heads in submission to every injustice?
Amidst this noise of self-praise and propaganda, the voices of the true travelers of this university—namely the students who endure humiliating journeys daily on the GT Road and other uneven routes—have been stifled away. Upon arrival, despite possessing three existing official cars for his office, the Vice-Chancellor purchased yet another luxury vehicle worth approximately 20 million rupees, which cemented the fact that the reckless use of the public exchequer is the supreme policy of the current times. When the Chief Minister of Punjab is actively implementing revolutionary projects to run modern electric buses for public convenience across the province, this administration of the University of Gujrat could not even display the foresight to purchase electric buses instead of burning crores of rupees on petrol and diesel under the guise of new vehicles, which would have not only protected the environment but also provided students with comfortable travel facilities proportional to their heavy fees. Alas, the welfare of poor students is nowhere to be found among their priorities.
Today, there is an urgent need for the Chancellor/Governor of Punjab, the Chief Minister of Punjab, the Chief Secretary Punjab, the HEC, and influential political leaders of Gujrat to take immediate and strict notice of this grave and heart-wrenching situation. This prestigious institution of a historic and scholarly region like Gujrat must not be allowed to become the private fiefdom of a few self-serving elements and incompetent officers. This is a question of the hard-earned sweat and blood of thousands of parents and the futures of millions of youths who are watching the slate of their dreams tarnished in the name of this university. If strict accountability against this declining system is not enacted now, a time is not far when the buildings of this university will stand tall, but every degree emerging from them will be reduced to nothing more than a meaningless piece of paper. The time has come to break this criminal silence, conduct a transparent third-party audit of transport contracts, silent transport maintenance contracts, and petrol/diesel contracts, and devise a sustainable solution to this educational crisis so that this bright lamp of Gujrat can be restored to its original splendor.