Tezpur University advances Autumn Recess amid student protests over Zubeen Garg tribute row

Tezpur University has announced that its Autumn Recess will begin earlier than scheduled, advancing the break from September 29 to September 24, 2025, in a move widely seen as an attempt to quell ongoing student protests. The revised schedule, confirmed in an official notification issued on September 22, states that the recess will now run from September 24 to October 3, 2025, subject to ratification by the Academic Council.

The development comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions on campus. Hundreds of students have been protesting against Vice Chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh, accusing him and the administration of showing “insensitivity” during Assam’s mourning period for late music icon Zubeen Garg.

On Saturday, September 21, while the state was in the midst of its official three-day mourning, the University went ahead with its controversial Tezpur University Students’ Council (TUSC) elections. The decision to continue with the polls during a period when the entire Assamese community stood united in grief has been branded as a betrayal, not only of cultural sentiment but of the very spirit of responsibility that a premier Central University is expected to uphold.

For students and faculty who revered Zubeen Garg not merely as an artist but as a cultural movement and an inseparable part of Assamese households, this act has been perceived as a deep wound. “It was like the university turned its back on the pain of its people,” said a protesting student.

The controversy intensified when students approached Vice Chancellor Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh, seeking an apology for the university’s disregard of public sentiment. Instead of offering solace, the VC reportedly mocked the students, dismissing their grief with the words, “Don’t make it funny.”

The remark has ignited widespread outrage. Calling people’s grief “funny,” at a time when the state was mourning the passing of one of its most beloved sons, has been condemned as unbecoming of the head of a Central University.

The insensitivity sparked large-scale student protests across the campus. Students, already struggling under what they describe as an atmosphere of “fear and repression,” staged peaceful demonstrations late into the night. Many went without food until 4:30 a.m., waiting for the Vice Chancellor to return and address their concerns. Instead, they say, Prof. Singh abandoned the meeting midway, refusing to apologise.

In a stark contrast, even the university’s security officer, whose photograph wearing shoes at Zubeen Garg’s shradhanjali went viral, apologised publicly after clarification. Yet, the Vice Chancellor has thus far refused to extend the same basic gesture of respect.

On September 23, while the people of Assam were tearfully witnessing Zubeen Garg’s funeral rites, the Tezpur University administration was reportedly locked in closed-door discussions, not about healing the rift, but about strategy. The outcome was a sudden decision to prepone the Autumn Recess from September 29 to September 24, an attempt, students allege, to disperse the protests and send them home. This decision has been criticized as a clear case of escapism.

The dissatisfaction is not limited to current students. Alumni of the university have also raised their voices against what they describe as years of administrative neglect. “He has always disrespected students. For him and the administration, students were never the priority it was about sitting in AC rooms. Even scholarship processing takes months under the Dean R&D and Finance Department. The rot runs deep,” a former student said to the media.

Concerns about accountability and transparency within Tezpur University are not new. Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh, the current Vice Chancellor, has previously faced allegations of financial anomalies in another institution. Under his leadership at Tezpur University, students claim the campus has been marred by frequent power outages, water shortages in hostels, declining standards of management, and a noticeable slide in national rankings.

What makes the protest more compelling is that the students are not fighting for personal privileges. Their demand remains clear: the Vice Chancellor must apologise for his comments, and the University administration must commit to accountability in its functioning.

For many, this is not just about one incident but about a deepening culture of arrogance and detachment within a university that should stand as a beacon of cultural and intellectual responsibility.