JNU students protest new hostel policies introcuding curfew, fee hike

Students from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday staged a protest against the introduction of a new draft for the hostel manual outside the Inter Hostel Administration (IHA) meeting venue. The draft, issued by the administration, proposed the introduction of new hostel policies which included curfew restrictions and fee hike among other things. This led to demonstrations by students criticising the decision.

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'Illegal' meeting

Speaking to ANI, JNU Students Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Singh said: "There was an illegal IHA meeting held yesterday without inviting the students' union. Our letters were not being received. The hostel fees have been increased. Curfew and dress restrictions have been introduced. The library is being closed before time." 

Singh added, "For the first time in JNU, we have been told that if we don't pay the fees for the mess, we will be evicted from the hostel. The policy of reservation has been removed through this draft." 

Calling the draft 'unlawful', Singh called for it to be revoked immediately. She also blamed the Dean of Students, Umesh Kadam, for trying to confine the students in the hostel and not letting them study.

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Demands ignored

Meanwhile, JNUSU vice president Saket Moon was quoted as saying, "We have tried various ways to contact the administration, but they have completely ignored our demands. This draft is an attempt to break the model through which students from various parts of India come to study." 

Moon further alleged that the hostel administration is attacking the rights of students and labourers by laying off half of the staff and adding their salaries in the students' mess fees. He also alleged the Dean of spreading hate and lies.

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Staying united is the key 

Ritwik Raj, SIS Counsellor, ABVP, asserted that it is important for students to unite and push back against such "repressive decisions". "We will not stop until the administration meets our demands," said Raj. On Monday, the JNU administration alleged that a group of students waylaid an ambulance and prevented doctors from taking the Dean of Students to hospital after he fell ill on the campus during a protest by students against a meeting. The students, however, have denied this allegation.

(With ANI inputs)

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