JNU Protest: Teachers urge students to restore normalcy & get back to academics

Amidst the ongoing protest by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU), a section of teachers from the university urged students to end their protest and get back to academics. The students of the varsity have been protesting for over the past two weeks against the recently introduced hostel manual, which imposes a hiked hostel fee and other restrictions. The administration had also issued a circular urging them to join the academic work.  The teachers addressed a press conference and announced, an executive committee was chaired to discuss the issue and extend concession for the fees.

"The way the issue started is with the proposed hike in the hostel fees and over the implementation of some hostel rules by the administration. Following the students' response, we had an Executive Committee (EC) meeting where after a detailed discussion the EC decided to extend some concessions to the BPL category students and to not hike the security deposit. The dress code and curfew timings were removed by the EC in the meeting," said a teacher from the university at a press conference in Delhi.

He also highlighted the difficulties faced by the administration to extend further concessions and therefore appealed the students to get back to academics as the exams are fast approaching and it will be detrimental for the future of all students. Appealing to the students he said,

"I request them to end these strikes, restore normalcy and allow the students to conduct the exams on time, otherwise they will be the biggest members on the long run. Earlier yesterday, the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar had said the academic activities have greatly suffered in the past two weeks due to the protests and urged the students to end their strike. During the last two weeks, the academic activities in the university have suffered greatly because some students are on strike. I have been receiving several e-mails from students and their parents expressing their concern over the loss of academic activities." 

READ: JNU VC: 'Academic activities have suffered greatly, students should end strike'

READ: JNU admin asks protesting students to resume academics, warns of action

JNU Protest

The protests have turned from Opposition to hostel rule changes to an all-out political and ideological slugfest. Demonstrations have taken a violent and ugly turn many times with administration meetings being disturbed and staff members harassed. The assistant dean of students was allegedly detained for nearly thirty hours, a soon-to-be-unveiled statue of Swami Vivekananda was desecrated with objectionable messages and varsity corridors along with the vice-chancellor's office were marked with derogatory remarks by suspected miscreants. JNU has already filed complaints with the Delhi police and investigations into the matter are underway.

READ: Detained by students, JNU Prof shares ordeal of inhuman treatment, lack of compeer support

READ:  JNU Dean Aswini Mohapatra: 'VC was always ready to meet students'

(With Inputs from ANI)