Students Protest Expansion of Saras Mela into PAU Academic Spaces

With the 10-day Saras Mela set to begin at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on October 4th, students and staff are expressing growing concerns over the timing and location of the event. Traditionally confined to the Mela Ground, the festival has this year expanded significantly, with stalls set up along roadsides, near Thapar Hall Square, and even on the lawns adjacent to the Mohinder Singh Randhawa Library.

This "blatant encroachment" on academic spaces has sparked widespread anxiety across the campus. Students, particularly those relying on the library for quiet study during exams, are alarmed by the proximity of the stalls. "The library is supposed to be a silence zone," said a BSc student. "I don't understand why the area around it is being used for a public festival." The overlap of the Saras Mela with mid-term exams, scheduled from October 6th to October 17th, has further exacerbated the issue, with students fearing the noise and activity will disrupt their preparation.

Beyond the immediate disruption, there are concerns about the potential long-term damage to the campus infrastructure. Students point to the uneven ground left by a previous Diljit Dosanjh concert, which has not fully recovered even after eight months. "We hope the lawns don't suffer the same fate," said a student from the Students' Home.