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Fee hike at AMU: Students’ protest enters 18th day, stalemate continues
Students were assured of timely elections but they have sought declaration of date for the students’ union election and naming of an election officer
The ongoing agitation of students at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) continued on Monday for the 18th day at Bab-e-Syed gate of university with women students actively participating, chanting slogans of ‘Ázadi’.
Two students - Syed Kaif Hasan and Mohd Rayyan - continued with their hunger strike despite a fall in health as their indefinite strike entered the fourth day.
Students at the AMU are protesting the fee hike imposed by the university administration 18 days ago. The demand for students’ union elections is also a point of protest of the students. The agitated students also demanded declaration of withheld results of certain students, sought zero attendance, and recalling the suspension of students.
The AMU administration constituted committees to review the fee hike and it was brought down to 20% only but the move failed to impress students who sought total withdrawal of fee hike and the agitation continued. Students were assured of timely elections but they have sought declaration of date for the students’ union election and naming of an election officer.
There have been political overtones added to agitation when on Saturday, Samajwadi Party extended its support to the agitation and its Rajya Sabha member Ramji Lal Suman met the agitating students.
AMU proctor prof Mohd Wasim Ali claimed that the majority of demands of the students have been met but the students seem reluctant to end the agitation due to the role of vested interests to destabilise the AMU administration.
“The vice-chancellor of AMU, prof Naima Khatoon, responded timely and constituted committees and in a meeting of the special academic council, a decision was taken not to hike fees more than 20% in any course,” Ali said on Monday.
“The vice-chancellor has assured for timely holding of students’ union elections in light of various fixtures. Admission process is on, various other events are to be held thus it is not possible to declare the date of students’ union elections. No one can be named election officer in haste,” the proctor said.
“Basic demands of students have been met with a new set of demands to recall suspension and expulsion of students in the past and bringing down norms for attendance being added every day,” he said.
Four members of the proctorial team had earlier resigned after certain women students complained of misbehaviour during the protest. Students of Delhi University and JNU have extended support to the ongoing agitation of students at AMU.
Few students also pasted posters with a photo of the vice-chancellor as ‘missing’ who was last seen at the pre-Independence Day Mushaira at university.
