Delhi University’s North East hostel girls stuck in lockdown lurch

Students residing in Delhi University’s North Eastern Students House for Women in North Campus’ Dhaka complex, say that they are being forced to vacate the hostel premises amid the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown.

Students residing in Delhi University’s North Eastern Students House for Women in Dhaka complex, North Campus say that they are being pressurised to vacate the premises by May 31, which is the last day of the contract for mess operations under the present caretaker. The impending building maintenance work in July is another reason why the authorities are demanding students to vacate the hostel. But, the hostellers claim that the Provost has been asking them to pack their bags and leave for good, even before the lockdown was announced. As a result, many from the 100 students residing here had left, but 13 girls are still inside the premises, and are clueless as to how to safely reach their homes in remote areas.

Hostllers at the North Eastern Students House for Women claim that they are being forced to leave the premises amid lockdown.(Jasjeet Plaha/HT Photo for representational purposes only)

“The provost has been mentally torturing us since the very beginning of the lockdown. She told us that the mess would stop functioning due to the shortage of payment for the mess workers. But, we feel it’s the responsibility of the hostel to provide us with all the basic amenities at a time like this when it is so difficult to go back to our home without any proper availability of transport services,“ says a hosteller, on condition of anonymity.

Another hosteller informs that while she did make an arrangement for her local guardian to pick her up, it wasn’t a smooth affair. “On May 7, I sought permission to leave the hostel premises on account of my local guardian willing to take me to their place; to this I had received an affirmation. The next morning, I was called up by the Provost, who then asked me to submit my room keys to the house keeper and vacate the room by keeping my belongings in a separate room. I subtly replied that it wasn’t possible to vacate in such short notice. This went on for a good 45 minutes. Finally, I was forced to submit my keys to the guard in charge on the agreement with my guardian that the Provost would be in full responsibility lest anything happens to my belongings in my absence,” says Garima Rathi, a hosteller.

“Administrative issues is liye aa rahe hai kyunki mujhe subah pata chala ki mere guard ke gali main kisi ko cornoavirus ho gaya hai, toh mere chaaro guard jo aas paas rehte hai woh nahi aa sakte.”
— Rita Singh, provost of North Eastern Students House for Women, DU

The hostel authorities maintain that they are facing administrative problems in hosting the girls during the pandemic. Rita Singh, provost of North Eastern Students House for Women, says, “Administrative issues is liye aa rahe hai kyunki mujhe subah pata chala ki mere guard ke gali main kisi ko cornoavirus ho gaya hai, toh mere chaaro guard jo aas paas rehte hai woh nahi aa sakte. Maine bachho ko advisory ja ri ki hai ki Delhi ke halat thik nahi hai, toh agar kuch halfto main flight chalne lage toh aap apne safe jagah par chale jaaye. Mujhe safai walo ko bhi ho sakta hai band karna pade, toh phir bina guard ke, bina mess ki functioning ke, kaam kaise chalega? 13 logo ke liye hume itni badi building ka tension laga rehta hai.”

Christina Ering, president, student welfare association of the hostel, says, “Many states in the North East have completely shut down and are not letting any outsider come in. How do the hostel authorities expect us to go back when all the modes of transportation are barred by the Government of India? How do we travel during such times? Delhi University and the HRD ministry has clearly given out notices asking the students to stay put where they are and not to travel... Other hostels like the Rajiv Gandhi Hostel for Girls, which has around 50 students, hasn’t given any such notice, and the same goes for International Students’ House For Women. The mess getting shut is Provost’s way of indirectly asking the girls to vacate the hostel. The girls have nowhere to go and they are panicking! Many are preparing for their assignments and exams but in such circumstances, no student is able to focus on studies.”

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