New Delhi (19/11/2019): JNU Students’ protest against the proposed fee hike provision in the Draft Hostel Manual has crossed three weeks now and today after their protest march towards the parliament was blocked by policemen and lathicharge was done at some places. JNU Student union shared that a woman student was manhandled by the police and many of other students were beaten up during the lathicharge. The JNUSU called upon a press conference to expose what they faced while the protest that they called ‘peaceful’!
JNU student union president said that, “we started the protest just to make government hear our basic demands which were none other than rolling back the proposed fee hike provision in the Draft Hostel Manual and on our way we witnessed a sudden lathicharge and many of our students were brutally beaten by the Police.”
Speaking at the press conference, President Aishe Ghosh also said that, “there are several rumours all around which says that the Vice Chancellor has tried to contact us and resolve the issue but couldn’t come up with any result. I want to make it clear and especially to those media groups who are spreading their personal opinions regarding our issue. We have tried to reach the VC and make settlement but there was no word from his side. We would also like to expose that our University’s Registrar has denied to meet our committee. I want to ask that ‘is this the way to proceed with educational institutions?”
One student who was visually impaired also shared his horrific experience while the protest that happened a day before.
He said, “On our way to the Parliament, there was sudden hooting and my fellows told me that ‘the police has started beating our mates with their lathis’, and they all covered me and told the police that I am dufferently abled. The policeman in response asked them to leave me and run. After a while someone was beating a lathi at my back and when I started running, a policeman attacked on my legs and I collapsed very badly and it is only me who knows how I am managing pain , to speak and sit in front of you.”
The JNUSU’s main demand is to take the proposed fee hike provision back and to vaccant the Vice Chancellor’s seat as he is not at all the deserving candidate for that honourable position!
Two FIRs were also lodged in the name of two JNU students. One FIR was registered against the protesting students at the Kishangarh police station, and the another was lodged at the Lodhi Colony police station.
According to the DCP Atul Kumar Thakur, the students stand charged with obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty, disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant after Monday’s incident at Aurobindo Marg.
Students also painted slogans of “No Fee Hike” on Jawaharlal Nehru University campus as part of their protest against the hostel manual.
Nearly 30 police personnel and 15 students were injured during the protest which was eight-hours long and thousands of students from different universities across the national capital took part.
The police detained about 100 protestors, including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, secretary Satish Chandra Yadav and former JNUSU president N Sai Balaji.
The only demand of Jawaharlal Nehru Students’ Union is that no administrative or legal action be taken against the students protesting against a hostel fee hike.
JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh also said that they had a meeting with the Joint Secretary of the HRD Ministry, GC Hosur, where they requested him to ensure no administrative action against students!
“Students have been getting notices through e-mail for these protests. But these protests are for a just cause and no student will pay even a single-rupee fine,” Aishe Ghosh added.
