The Amrinder Singh Govt. of Punjab, declared Rs. 100 crore as user’s tax in this year’s Budget and out of it earmarked and imposed Rs. 46.85 crore as a hike in fee-fund on college students, just when annual examinations were underway. Widespread resentment was observed among the students and the general public too. But students were unable to stage protests due to ongoing examinations.

As soon as the examinations were over, the student organisations started planning a fight back to this onslaught. Punjab Students Union (PSU) along with 9 other students organisations, viz. Students Federation of India (SFI), All India Students Federation (AISF), All India Students Association (AISA), Punjab Radical Students Union (PRSU), Punjab Students Federation (PSF), All India Democratic Students Union (AIDSU), Confederation of Punjabi University Campus Students Organisations (CPUCSO), Sikh Students Federation (SSF) and Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP), held joint meetings on this issue and a United Students’ Front (USF) came into existence. A 10-member Coordination Committee was formed, which decided to include other burning iussues of the student community, such as free education for girls upto graduation to continue, free bus-pass facilities to be strictly implemented in Kilometre Scheme of state-run bus services (this scheme is partially private and partially public), privatisation of technical education to be stopped and a Punjab level agitation to be launched. This was the first phase of students' proyest.

In the beginning of the second phase, the Students’ Front consciously decided to get the support of other toiling sections of the people and convened a joint convention at Ludhiana on July 1, 2003. On the invitation of United Student Front, All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS), Punjab Kisan Sabha, Mazdoor Mukti Morcha, Inquilabi Kendra Punjab, Punjab-Chandigarh College Teachers Union, Govt. College Lecturers Association, Krantikari Sabhyachark Manch, Kirti Mazdoor Union, University Non-teaching Employees’ Association, Democratic Employees' Front etc. participated in this convention. The spokesmen of these organizations justified the just demands of the students and resolved to give full support to the students' struggle. After securing this much valuable active support of these mass organisations, the United Students’ Front took two important decisions- First was to launch a boycott campaign against this hike in fees-fund throughout the state. The USF selected 13 colleges for implementing this boycott. PSU took responsibility of Govt. College Malerkotla (District Sangrur). Second decision was to hold a Joint Students’ Convention on July 9, 2003 at Patiala.

9th July Joint Convention:  A Joint Students’ Convention was held at Patiala in which representatives of fraternal mass organisations also participated along with the representatives and followers of 10 students’ organisations. 1300 students attended the convention which was quite above the mark of 1000 set by the USF. This enthusiastic participation once again confirmed the growing resentment among the student community. After the convention, an impressive protest demonstration was staged throughout the main busy routes of the city and it culminated at the statue of great patriot and democrat S. Sewa Singh Thikrariwala. This convention was addressed and demonstration was led by, Raminder Singh Patiala - PSU President along with leaders of AISA , PRSU, PSF, CPUCSO, SSF and others.

Apart from these students leaders, the leaders of various mass organisations viz. Punjab Kisan Sabha, College-teachers association, Technical Service Union (Punjab State Electricity Board) and Democratic Employees' Front also participated and addressed the convention.

Fees-Funds Boycott Campaign:  In order to plan the implementation the boycott-call, a joint meeting of USF was convened at Sangrur on 24 June. In that meeting it was decided that boycott-call will be implemented at least in the following colleges: Malerkotla, Sunam, Sangrur, Mastuana (all in Dist. Sangrur), Bhikhi, Mansa, Budhlada (Dist. Mansa), Patiala, Samana (Dist. Patiala), Jalalabad, Dhudike, Rode (Dist. Moga), and Jandiala (Dist. Jalandhar). Various students organisations took responsibilities of various colleges. The Punjab Student Union took this most seriously and from the day of this decision started propaganda campaign in the villages surrounding Malerkotla. The PSU workers and leaders held mass meetings and rallies in these villages, made appeal to the common people i.e. parents of the students and got an encouraging response from various sections of the people.

Emergence of Malerkotla as Centre of Boycott-Struggle:  Large number of students led by PSU, held a massive rally at the Govt. College Malerkotla and staged impressive dharna outside the rooms where admissions were to be made on 7th July, the very first day of admissions. On the 3rd of boycott of admissions, the College teachers asked students to stop the boycott. The argued that as you have succeeded in projecting your demand, so now, let admissions be reopened. But PSU leaders expressed their disagreement with the teachers appeal and told them that our aim is not the projection of demands but withdrawal of the anti-people hike and subsequently reiterated their resolve to carry out joint decision of the student front. This determined response was answered by police repression. The police blacklisted Gurmukh Singh Mann, Kuldeep Singh Gosal, Harjinder Singh Chauhan, Nirbhay Singh Rampur, all local PSU leaders, and started raiding their parents' houses to create panic and fear among the people and students in particular. This repression was strongly condemned by United Student Front and other students. On the fifth day of the boycott, a police force under the command of a DSP was deployed in the College premises. This DSP argued with the PSU leaders and alleged that PSU leaders were forcibly preventing the students from taking admissions and taking law in their own hands. The PSU leaders promptly declared that students were protesting with their own willingness and no force was being applied in anyway. The frustrated DSP started addressing the assembled students and asked them to pay hiked fees-fund and get admissions. But the students remained undeterred and paid no heed to his appeals. Then PSU decided to continue the boycott with new methods of agitation and propaganda. A particular feature of this boycott was that girl students participated in this struggle without any hesitation and reluctance. All the students remained united and unshaken.

More Attempts of Boycott: All the 13 Colleges selected by USF could not implement boycott call. Though SFI, AISA and AIDSO made an attempt to boycott at Mansa, Budhlada, Govt. Mahinder College Patiala, but due to lack of required strength and preparedness this boycott could not be sustained and was broken after 2 or 3 days only. Revolutionary Punjab Student Union also took main responsibility to implement boycott at Mastuana, Sangrur and Sunam, but could not carry it out anywhere. AISF and ABVP did not make any attempt in this direction. Envisaging the problems of boycott in a single centre, PSU leadership tried to expand it to Govt. College Pojewal (Dist. Hoshiarpur) and Baba Attar Singh College at Sandaur (Dist. Sangrur). But boycott could last there only upto 2 days.

Different forms of struggle at different places: The students under the leadership of USF, continued their protest movement in various forms of mobilisation i.e. rallies, demonstrations, dharnas and effigy-burning and protest marches. Students led by PSU undertook all these forms of struggle and led struggle at Patiala, Ludhiana, Nawanshehar and Ferozepur etc. These rallies etc. were addressed and led by Kulwinder Singh Chahal, General Secretary PSU, Dharminder Singh Pattran, Harpreet Jeerakh, Beant Singh, Jarnail Singh, Jagtar Singh, Pardeep, Rakesh Kumar, Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, Karam Singh Sekha, Bhupinder Singh, Parkash Dhaliwal etc.

13th July Meeting of USF: To review the boycott struggle, the Coordination Committee of USF held its meeting at Patiala on 13th July. All the Participants congratulated PSU for conducting a determined boycott struggle at Malerkotla and decided to hold protest demonstrations on July 24th throughout the state and also passed a resolution warning the govt. that if force was used against the students at Malerkotla, then the effigy-burning of Punjab govt. would be staged the very next day throughout the state.

During this effigy of Education Minister Harnam Dass Johar was burnt at Malerkotla and PSU students declared that if Mr. Johar visit Malerkotla College, he will be gheraoed there.

Homage to Martyr Randhawa: PSU paid homage to student leader and martyr Pirthipal Singh Randhawa who was murdered by goondas fostered by vested ruling class interests on 17 July 1979 and on this occasion hoisted the PSU flag on the College building. PSU leaders declared students resolve to continue the boycott at all costs. On the same day College Principal gathered some parents belonging to Congress and asked them to persuade students to end the boycott. Evaluating the possible adverse effect of the appeal made by a handful parents, PSU declared to call a parents meeting in the college on 19th July.

Massive Rally on 19th July: The Parents meeting turned out to be a massive rally in which parents and general people from surrounding villages were mobilised to strengthen the struggle and foil the game of authorities. Students from Patiala Dist. also participated in this rally. Along with it, the panchyats of at least 14 surrounding villages also attended this rally and extended their support to the struggling students. This rally was addressed by the USF leaders and Hardev Singh Sandhu, President Kirti Kisan Union (AIKMS), ex-general secretary of Democratic Teachers Front, Gurbakhshish Singh Brar and many leaders of peasants organizations.

Then students got the information that some members of college staff were enrolling the students somewhere outside the College premises. PSU leaders declared that to foil this attempt, staff rooms and offices will be locked on 21st July. The same was done on 21st July. Principal’s office was exempted from lock up as staff members assured that nothing would be performed in that office. A rally was staged in the college.

Lathicharge On Students On 22nd July: When the students reached college they came to know that entry of all the students boycotting fee hike has been banned and police force has been deployed in large number. The students assembled at the college gate, denounced this measures of the authorities and declared to enter the college. As the students proceeded further, they were lathicharged and 7 PSU leaders were arrested and false cases were registered against them. They included Kuldip Gosal, Gurjant Singh Gosal, Amandeep Singh Chatta, Prince Kumar, Kulwant Singh Takhar, Pardeep Singh Chauhan, Harjinder Singh Chauhan. Some students, including Gurmukh Singh Mann, were declared warranted and police started raiding their houses.

This police repression evoked an instantaneous and strong reaction. As the news of this lathicharge broke out, the students held protest marches and strikes at campus of Punjabi University Patiala, ITI Patiala and Govt. Ripudaman College Nabha (Dist. Patiala) under the leadership of USF.

The Amrinder Singh Congress Govt. was getting isolated day by day on this issue. Internal-strife and contradictions were also exerting themselves. Under these circumstances. Punjab govt. declared the unconditional withdrawal of fee-hike. It also restored the concession of free education to girls upto graduation level. The govt. also extended the last date for admission and to return the collected hiked fees.

Students also staged a protest march at Malerkotla on July 24th, gheraoed the SDM office and demanded unconditional release of arrested students by the police. PSU warned the authorities that if cases were not withdrawn and students not released by July 31, a state level agitation will be launched. Cases were withdrawn and students were released on July 25.

This victory secured in the context of commercialisation of education dictated by WTO regime bears remarkable significance and has inspired the students and other working sections of the population.