Chandigarh: A protest at Panjab University over the long-delayed Senate elections took a dramatic turn on Monday when a video of a young student confronting a policewoman went viral, making her the unexpected face of the agitation.
The university was on edge throughout the day as hundreds of students, joined by local political figures and farmer leaders, gathered to press for the immediate conduct of the university’s Senate polls. Security personnel sealed the main gates early in the morning, effectively locking students and demonstrators out of the campus.
Amid the tense standoff, Harmanpreet Kaur, a second-year student of Anthropology from Sri Anandpur Sahib, became an online sensation after her exchange with a policewoman was captured on camera. In the clip, she can be heard saying, “Baanh chhaddo… je mere tai pai gayi fer apna hisaab la li… ladte loki zindabad,” roughly translating to “Let go of my arm… if you touch me again, I’ll respond accordingly… long live the fighters.”
Speaking later about the incident, Harmanpreet said she had left home early in the morning to reach her hostel but found all university gates locked. “I had my student ID and requested entry, but the police stopped me. One of the officers held my arm, so I asked her to let me go. Eventually, they allowed me in,” she recounted.
The short clip, shared widely on social media platforms, drew an outpouring of admiration from students and activists who saw her composed defiance as symbolic of the growing assertiveness among the youth.
The protest — led by several student groups and backed by local organisations — accused the administration of delaying the Senate elections, calling it an attack on the democratic functioning of the institution. “We only want our voices to be heard. The university belongs to the students and teachers,” one protester said.
Authorities later confirmed that while the agitation caused a day-long shutdown, there were no major incidents of violence. Heavy police deployment remained in place to prevent further escalation.
As the slogan “Baanh chhaddo” continues to echo across social media, many are hailing Harmanpreet Kaur’s spontaneous act of resistance as a powerful reminder of youth determination and the demand for accountability in higher education governance.
