JNU students, teachers march to MHRD, demand V-C’s removal

A delegation of the protesters, including representatives of the JNU Teachers Association and JNUSU chief Aishe Ghosh, met HRD officials for submitting a memorandum demanding removal of the vice-chancellor.

Nearly 500 protesters, including JNU students, teachers and activists, on Thursday marched from Mandi House to Shastri Bhawan, where the office of Union HRD ministry is located, under heavy police cordon against Sunday’s violence on JNU campus and to demand the removal of vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar.

Protesting students alleged that the police used force to disperse them at Shastri Bhavan, causing injuries to many of them. (HT Photo)

A delegation of the protesters, including representatives of the JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) and JNUSU chief Aishe Ghosh, met HRD officials and submitted a memorandum demanding removal of the vice-chancellor. Reportedly unsatisfied by the response of the ministry officials, the students tried to march towards Rashtrapati Bhawan but they were stopped and later detained by the police. All protesters were later released.

“MHRD officials have talked about having a dialogue. The answer to the injuries on my head is not dialogue. Dialogue has been happening for 70 days and after that we were beaten by goons. The MHRD has to ensure removal of the VC. We will proceed towards Rashtrapati Bhavan and demand the President, who is also the visitor of JNU, for removal of VC,” said Ghosh, after meeting MHRD joint secretary.

Protesting students alleged that the police used force to disperse them, causing injuries to many of them. “We were peacefully marching towards Rashtrapati Bhawan when the police surrounded us and stopped us from going ahead. I was dragged and thrown into the police van and in the process I lost my slippers and spectacles” said former JNUSU member Sarika Chowdhury, who was detained at the Mandir Marg police station.

“They beat us with lathis and dragged us into the van. We were not even told where were being taken,” said Preeti Umarao, another student.

Police said an additional deputy commissioner of police was allegedly bit in his hand by one of the protesters.

Delhi Police additional PRO Anil Mittal said, “No women were detained at any police station beyond 6pm. All 11 protesters who were detained were let off almost immediately. No force was used by the police.”

Traffic on the busy Rajendra Prasad Road was disrupted for nearly an hour at around 6 pm.

During the day, several speakers including Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Sharad Yadav, Kiran Walia, and Kanhaiya Kumar participated in the demonstration at Mandi House. “We are not here asking for his resignation. We want the V-C’s dismissal since he did not do anything as masked men beat students on campus,” said Yechury.

Talking about actor Deepika Padukone’s recent visit on campus, former JNUSU president and CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar said, “The actor did not take anyone’s name on campus. She just met the injured students and left and yet they launched a boycott of her movie. If she didn’t name any party or ideology, why this boycott? This indicates that they accept that the supporters of government were behind JNU violence.”

Kumar also questioned the timing of the violence since it coincides with Delhi Assembly elections. “The issues of Delhi are pollution, water, electricity and education. But since they don’t have any agenda to fight on, they have made JNU into an issue.”

“My mother earned R 3,000 per month and yet I could study in JNU because of its affordable fee structure. But, they are attempting to change that to encourage privatisation and keep marginalised out of the education system,” he said.

HRD secretary Amit Khare said removing the V-C is not the solution. “Removing the V-C is not the solution. The basic issue on which the whole problem has arisen needs to be addressed first. Changing X, Y or Z is not as important as resolving the issues that have come up. The basic bone of contention needs to be resolved,” Khare told reporters.

Khare said he would meet senior JNU officials on Friday and follow it up with another meeting with students and teachers, who are protesting.

Utility charges

The JNU on Thursday said that service and utility charges for the hostel residents are not being charged during the current registration for 2020 winter semester. As per discussion held in MHRD, “UGC will bear the cost of Service and Utility charges proposed till further orders,” the administration said.