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Following a press briefing by JNUSU (Jawaharlal Nehru University Student’s Union), teachers of the varsity marched around the campus to bestow solidarity with students who faced the wrath of police forces on Monday in light of their protest against the arbitrary fee hike.

A day after several Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students were thrashed, manhandled and jailed for protesting against the fee hike, the varsity’s teachers association marched past the campus in solidarity with the students. The protest on Monday was marred with intense scuffle between protesters and police forces. Around 100 students who were detained yesterday have been released. Several students suffered injuries after government deployed 2000 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to contain the protest.

As the march began at campus’s main gate, teachers of the varsity started raising slogans such as “Fee hike waapis lo” (Revoke the Fee Hike), “JNU VC Ko Jaana Hoga” (The Vice Chancellor must go), demanding for the Vice Chancellor’s resignation.

“We are standing with students from the very beginning. Fee hike should not take place otherwise underprivileged students will lose the opportunity to study. If public education system collapses than people like us talking here won’t be in a situation to raise voices”, said Professor D.K. Lobiyal who teaches in the School of Computer and System Sciences.

On the question of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) forming a three member committee to look after the fee hike issue he said, “The committee is saying that (Vice Chancellor) VC should talk to the students. So, MHRD had to formulate a committee for getting the Vice Chancellor in touch with students? Why is the Vice Chancellor there for?” Demonstrating his displeasure he went on to to bring into light that if it requires MHRD to instigate a conversation with students then what’s the need of Vice Chancellor in a University. He added “MHRD has legitimised our claim that this VC is incapable of running JNU.”

Media flocked in the campus to cover the protest. In picture: N. Sai Balaji (ex-JNUSU president) talking about the issue with NDTV. Image credits: Priyanshu Sinha for DU Beat

Various media organisations had flocked in to cover the event which was preceded by a press conference by the JNUSU. Reconciling his chilling encounter with police yesterday, Shashi Bhushan Pandey, a student union councillor said, “I told them (Police) that I am visually impaired, so that they would spare beating me. But No! One of them hit me from the front and when I tried to flee, I was beaten on my leg. The boy who helped me and took me to the hospital was also attacked by the Delhi Police.”

The brutality on Pandey, a visually challenged student got the University’s Visually Challenged Students Forum to issue a notice condemning Delhi Police’s action towards students taking part in peaceful march demanding accessible and affordable education for all.

Teachers assembled near the main gate with placards in hand. Image credits: Priyanshu Sinha for DU Beat

Later on Tuesday, the JNU outfit of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) issued a statement that condemned the JNUSU and alleged that the left led student union of making the issue their agenda leaving behind rest of JNUites who oppose their ideology. The statement said that as the hike affects every JNU students, their should be a joint struggle committee consisting students from all ideological background. ABVP, who holds no political representation in University’s Student Union rejected the high power committee set up by MHRD and demanded JNU administration to reclaim the 6.7 Crore Rupees that University Grants Commission (UGC) had promised to waive off as additional fee charges.

The protest against exorbitant fee hike entered its 21^st day on Tuesday. The exponential hike increased room rent from INR 10-20 to 300-600 per month. An additional service charge of INR 1700 will surge the fee to INR 2,000-2,300 per month. This hike would make Jawaharlal Nehru University the most expensive Central University in India, surpassing even Delhi University whose average annual fees is Rs 40,000-55,000 . After dissatisfaction on a partial rollback by University’s executive council, the Student Union went on with their protest which has already witnessed the participation of huge number of students, many even from outside the campus flocking everyday to stand with the students.

Priyanshu Sinha

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Feature Image Credits : Priyanshu Sinha for DU Beat

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The protest against hostel fee hike and draconian hostel rules in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has entered its second week.

On Wednesday, 13th November, the hostel fee hike was rolled back partially during the Executive Council (EC) meeting. The decision was announced through a tweet by R Subrahmanyam, Education Secretary, Government of India, which was later retweeted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

According to the revised structure, the single room rent has been revised to Rs 200 per month, while the double bed rent has been revised to Rs 100 per month. The outrage surrounding the new manual emerged as the single room rent of Rs 20 per month was increased to Rs 600 per month whereas, double room rent was increased from Rs 10 per month to Rs 300 per month. However, the one-time mess security remains at Rs 5,500, the service charges remain at 1,700 per month along with the earlier utility charges. Moreover, Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students would receive assistance.

The Executive Council (EC) is the supreme decision-making body of the Varsity, which also has representatives from the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA). The venue for the EC meeting was changed on Wednesday without prior information to the Students’ Union and the JNUTA. DK Lobiyal, JNUTA president quoted to PTI, “The meeting was supposed to be held at the Convention Centre inside the campus but when three EC members, professor Sachidanand Sinha, Moushumi Basu, and Baviskar Sharad Prahlad reached the venue, there was no meeting there.”

JNU students won’t call off the protest any time soon; if the draft manual is approved, it will be implemented soon. 14th November was observed as National Protest Day, wherein JNUTA along with DUTA, Federation of Central Universities’ Teachers’ Associations (FEDCUTA) and several student bodies rallied to save public-funded education in India, from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar.

Among the discontentment against the administration, activist and former JNU student, Umar Khalid spoke to The Quint, “The government and the JNU Vice Chancellor, Jagadesh Kumar, is giving the matter another twist. First, they said that the economically weaker sections will be aided by the administration, later the administration has come out with a press release stating that Below Poverty Line (BPL) students will be given concessions in the fee structure.” He further questioned the Government and media’s stance in propagating lies.

JNUSU’s former President Sai Balaji acknowledged the curfew and dress codes withdrawal, and said, “The government has played a cruel joke on the marginalised sections of students today.” The JNU administration contested that the Varsity has not increased the fee for the past 19 years, regarding which JNUSU demanded a discussion before the proposed hike. The protest for the same continues.

Featured Image Credits: Noihrit Gogoi for DU Beat

Anandi Sen

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