Women’s safety, more hostels top issues in DU students union poll manifestos

NEW DELHI: Safety of women students on the campus tops the agenda of parties contesting the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) election this year.

NEW DELHI: Safety of women students on the campus tops the agenda of parties contesting the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) election this year.

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The left-leaning All India Students Association (AISA)— Communist Party of India’s (CPI— Marxist Leninst) youth wing released its manifesto on Sunday. The outfit demanded constitution of sexual harassment committees with students’ representation. It has fielded three women candidates for the DUSU panel.

“We also demand the formation of a committee against racial discrimination in every college, and holding regular sensitisation programmes in DU against sexual harassment,” said Kawalpreet Kaur, AISA’s presidential candidate.

Presidential nominees of National Students Union of India (NSUI), Nikhil Yadav said, “There is a need to ensure that the campus is safe for girls by installing CCTV cameras throughout.” NSUI is the Congress’ student wing.

Parties are also highlighting issues of accommodation and construction of more hostels.

“We have already started a campaign a ‘Room of my Own’ demanding accommodation. We will continue our struggle for implementation of Room Rent Control and house rent allowance,” said Kaur.

Like every year, providing university-special buses is another major poll promise.

AISA said they will demand Metro passes for students and special buses for girls. NSUI attacked the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), for reducing university-special buses from 20 to two in their tenure.

The NSUI and AISA also attacked the BJP-run Centre. “Ever since the BJP came to power, they have increased the fees of various universities making education unaffordable for people like me. I will fight their anti-poor policies,” said Vinita Dhaka, NSUI’s secretary candidate.

DUSU election is to be held on September 9.