V-C yet to discuss fee hike, say students

Students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday alleged that it has been over three months since they started striking over the hostel fee hike, but

Students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday alleged that it has been over three months since they started striking over the hostel fee hike, but the vice-chancellor was yet to talk to the union.

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A JNU official, requesting anonymity, said, “The JNU administration has been constantly trying to meet the students and discuss the issue. They are adamant that they want to meet the V-C only.”

They shared a copy of a letter the Delhi Police had written to the university administration last November, asking it to have a dialogue with the student union representatives to break the deadlock over the fee hike issue.

The JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) alleged that JNU vice-chancellor (V-C), Jagadesh Kumar, has not tried having a dialogue with its members over the issue. Since October 28, 2019, students of JNU have been protesting against a new hostel manual, which introduced a substantial fee hike.

In the letter, dated November 26, 2019, addressed to JNU registrar Pramod Kumar, the station house officer of the Vasant Kunj North police station, Ritu Raj had written, “The JNU administration should start dialogue with the students of JNU, so the issues can be resolved between the students and the JNU administration. There has to be continuous dialogue with the elected representatives of JNUSU as well.”

The letter was sent in the backdrop of JNUSU’s call for a national protest at Connaught Place on November 27, 2019, as a part of their protest against the fee hike.

As part of their agitation, the JNUSU had boycotted the examinations. Later, on December 30, 2019, the administration had announced the start of the registration process for the winter semester with the increased fee. The JNUSU had announced a boycott of the registration process, demanding a complete roll-back of the hiked fee.

On January 5, a mob of masked people, armed with rods and sticks, went on a rampage inside the campus, leaving at least 34 persons injured. Following this, the students’ union had announced the continuation of the boycott until the V-C stepped down from his post.

JNUSU general secretary, Satish Yadav, said that administration did not try to have a dialogue with the student union members even once. “There are many letters we had written to the administration requesting a dialogue. But there was no effort from their end,” he said.

Despite several attempts, JNU registrar Kumar did not respond to calls and messages for comment.