New Delhi: A massive protest by students broke out on Monday outside the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus against a draft hostel manual, which allegedly has provisions for fee hike, dress code and curfew timings.
Describing the policies of the JNU administration as “anti-student,” Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) demanded immediate withdrawal of the manual.
“JNU has artibrarily hiked the hostel, mess and security fee. The fee hike will affect an overwhelming number of students. It denies those from the deprived sections to avail education if they cannot pay,” JNUSU said in a statement.
The students, who have been protesting since October 28 after an Inter-Hall Administration (IHA) meeting passed the draft hostel manual, on Monday sought to meet Vice Chancellor (VC) M Jagadesh Kumar outside a convocation ceremony where Vice-President Vekaiah Naidu was the chief guest.
Angry JNU students targeted police with “Tis Hazri, Tis Hazari” slogans after the police allegedly pushed some students, including women, who were holding a massive protest outside the campus gate on Monday, which saw Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal unable to leave the varsity after the convocation.
While the Vice President was able to leave the campus after his speech, the HRD Minister was not so lucky. He had to remain inside the compound for around five hours as angry students massed outside the gate.
It is only after a delegation of Delhi Police, comprising Special Commissioner of Police (headquarters) R.S. Krishnia and DCP (Central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa entered the campus, that they were able to escort the minister out safely after 4pm.
In between the police brought in water cannons to disperse the students, and kept one on standby for use. The use of water canon angered the students even more.
While he was confined inside, the HRD Minister met a delegation of students to hear their demands. However, the students were unwilling to bring in the Minister into the fracas, and demanded that the only way to call off the protest would be by arranging talks with Vice Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar.
The students told Gulf News that the provisions in the new manual seek to restrict their freedom of expression.
“Our agitation is against the draft hostel manual’s fee hike, dress code, restrictions by the administration on entry to Parthasarathy Rocks, and attempts to lock students’ union office. How can we accept rules that cut down on our movement inside the campus,” Santosh Kumar, a JNU student, told Gulf News.
Another student Rashmi Nath said the draft hostel manual directly affected 40 per cent students who came from poor background.
“How will they study here? More than 40 per cent of students belong to a category of families with annual income below the poverty line,” Nath told Gulf News.
Meanwhile, Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ met the agitating students and assured to find a solution.
After the meeting with the Minister, JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh told Gulf News that the proposed hike fee was a “whopping 999 per cent more that the earlier one”, and hence not acceptable.
“It is a historic day for us that we broke barricades, reached the convocation venue and met the Minister. This could happen because we were united. This is not the end of our movement. We urged the HRD minister to ask the VC to have a dialogue with the students,” Ghosh said.
On Monday, the JNU administration once again appealed to the students to call off their agitation.
“These agitations have affected the normal life of a large number of innocent students from across India who are unable to concentrate on their studies, complete academic assignments and prepare for their examinations. The administration appeals to the agitating students to stop their propaganda and falsehood campaigns, and spare the vast majority of innocent students who want to concentrate on their studies,” the administration said in a statement.
Expressing concern, JNU VC Kumar informed that the university administration was contemplating severe action against agitating JNU students.
“The conduct of the students who protested outside the convocation ceremony today has been not only unbecoming, but dangerous and shameful. This kind of behaviour by a section of JNU students is highly condemnable and outrageous,” Kumar said.