Guwahati: Expressing profound grief at the demise of seven brilliant students of Assam Engineering College (AEC) in a tragic late-night accident on 29 May 2023, All Assam Engineer’s Association (AAEA) urges the college authority to impose some basic disciplinary measures urgently. The forum of graduate engineers (many of them are AECians) also wishes an early recovery to all the injured students and others in the fatal road mishap.
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The AEC Hostel 7 boarders were returning to the residential college campus from western part of the city and faced the accident near the Jalukbari overbridge. The luxury car carrying ten students hit the divider first and then a goods carrier on other side of the road. Seven of them died on the spot and three sustained serious injuries. Three persons on the other vehicle were also injured in the mishap. They all have been admitted to Guwahati medical college hospital.
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No professional driver was in the rented car, and it was driven by one of the victims. The deceased students include Kaushik Baruah (Mangaldoi), Arindam Bhallal (Guwahati), Rajkiran Bhuyan (Majuli), Niyar Deka (Golaghat), Emon Gayan (Dibrugarh), Kaushik Mohan (Charaideo) and Upangshu Sarma (Nagaon). Injured students are Arpan Bhuyan, Arnab Chakraborty and Mrinmoy Borah. The other injured individuals include Muzammil Haque, Yusuf Ali and Rajib Ali.
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“The tragic incident should teach every one of us a lesson. First the AEC authority must discourage students from going out or coming inside the campus during the night hours. We remember the then AEC principal AK Padmapati sir used to note down everyone coming inside the campus after evening through the gates near to Hostel 7 and Hostel 3. The authority must introduce digital gadgets to observe the movement through the gates,” said AAEA president Er Kailash Sarma, working president Er NJ Thakuria and secretary Er Inamul Hye.
Established In 1955, the first engineering college in northeast India, is affiliated to Gauhati University. With the motto of ‘Service before self’ AEC offers bachelor in engineering (BE) degree in eight disciplines (Mechanical, Civil, Electronics & Telecommunications, Electrical, Chemical, Instrumentation, Computer Science & Engineering and Industrial & Production). It also provides masters in some branches like Mech, Electrical, Civil, Computer Applications. The premier institute caters to the needs of over 2000 students and it has a 20,000+ global alumni.
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Finally, the engineer’s forum appeals to the parents of students to remain vigilant about their sons/daughters in college campuses through various means. They should demand a guardians’ meet on the college campus every year and participate accordingly, said the forum. It also urges State chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who visited site of the accident and ordered an investigation into the matter, to issue strict guidelines to all college authorities regarding their hostel boarders so that any unwanted future incident can be prevented.
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(Nava Thakuria is a senior Indian journalist who contributes to various media outlets including print and digital platforms of India and across the world.)
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