E-Paper
JNU fee hike: Students lathicharged in second standoff with cops in a week
New Delhi: The national capital roads Monday witnessed another round of violence as hundreds of students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), who have been demanding
New Delhi: The national capital roads Monday witnessed another round of violence as hundreds of students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), who have been demanding a full rollback of hostel fee hike, faced off with Delhi Police in Jor Bagh and outside the university campus.
Students, who have been on a protest since October 30, took out a march to Parliament House Monday to raise their demands on the opening day of the winter session. They were intercepted by the police near Jor Bagh Metro station around 2.30pm.
The situation soon escalated with students staying put on the road near Safdarjung’s Tomb for almost four hours, throwing traffic out of gear. Later in the evening, police resorted to lathicharge to break up the protest, an action they later denied in a press statement. However, police claimed that 15 students and 30 personnel “were injured in the protest”.
Around noon, students broke through the barricades outside the JNU campus and started their march to Parliament. Several of them, including JNU students union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh and general secretary Satish Chandra Yadav, were detained and taken to various police stations. They were released by evening.
Police said they stopped students from entering New Delhi district as Section 144 CrPC was imposed in the area following the Ayodhya verdict on November 9 and also because Parliament is in session. As many as 800 policemen and 10 companies of the central armed police force were deployed to contain the protest.
Deputy commissioner of police MS Randhawa said, “Despite being persuaded by Delhi Police not to violate the orders, they forced their way through the barricades. A group broke away and started marching to Parliament. They were stopped at Safdarjung’s Tomb, before the New Delhi district.” Police said when they tried to restrain protesters, but owing to “continuous defiance by some”, at least 100 of them had to be detained.
Students then occupied the stretch next to Safdarjung’s Tomb. Armed with banners, posters, and daflis, students shouted slogans against the university administration and the police, while also apprising passers-by of their plight.
“My father, a gardener, earned ₹15,000 a month. He retired in 2016 when I became eligible for a JRF (junior research fellowship) which earns me a stipend of ₹28,000 a month. A major chunk of that stipend goes to support my family of seven. If the hostel fee is hiked, I will no longer be able to support them,” Raj Maurya, a fourth year PhD scholar of Microbiology, said.
With the students staying put on Aurobindo Marg till about 7pm, JNUSU president Ghosh arrived there to address protesters. By 7.15pm, the streetlights switched off and the police personnel started using batons to force protesters to leave. In the violence that ensued , several teachers, as well as students, were beaten up.
JNU teachers’ association secretary Surajit Mazumdar said he was among those kicked and beaten by police. “We were lathicharged and kicked by police who asked us to go back to the university and protest, instead of blocking Delhi roads. We had gone there to speak to our students and try and end the standoff. When we reached there, police requested our help. However, later when protesters were dispersing, they started chasing students and beating them. When we intervened, they attacked us as well,” he said.
Shashi Bhushan Samad, a visually challenged student councillor, who was among the injured, said the police continued to beat him even after he told them of his disability.
“There are 20-odd students, accompanied by policemen, at the hospital. Most have minor injuries,” a doctor at the AIIMS Trauma Centre, requesting anonymity, said.
Till late evening, forces were deployed outside Metro stations that fall in the vicinity of Parliament House. Some stations were also briefly closed to stop the students from Parliament by the Metro. JNUTA has called for a protest against police brutality on Tuesday evening.
On Monday evening, four JNUSU office-bearers met joint secretary Girish Hosur at the ministry of human resource development and submitted a memorandum, demanding the reconvening of a hostel meeting with students’ union participation; preparation of manual in consultation with students; and a complete rollback of the fee hike.
