Humari maange puri karo, say DU students who want the Central Library to be open 24x7
Delhi University’s Central Library is not a 24-hour facility, but that hasn’t stopped these students from studying there till late night.
Students of Delhi University (DU) are on a protest. And the protest is because they want to study more in the Central Library situated at the North Campus. Their demand is - the library be open 24 hours, as opposed to the limited hours that it operates now.
“Masters ke students sirf raat 8 baje tak padh sakte hain aur M.Phil ke raat 12 baje tak aur classes humari sham 7 baje tak chalti hain. Ek do ghante mein kya padhaai hoti hai?” questions Raghavendra Pratap Singh, a first year MA Buddhist Studies student. “Before the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010, the library would be a 24x7 study space, and now we struggle to find a quiet space to be able to study peacefully.”
As part of the protest, students refuse to leave the library after closing hours, even if the authorities try. “First, they cut power at 8pm and then at midnight in the hopes that we might leave. But we don’t. Guards bhi humein bolte hain ki uth ke chale jao, par hum uthenge nahi jab tak library 24x7 na ho jaaye,” says Raja Choudhary, a first-year, Law Faculty student.
He further explains, “There are so many outstation students and sab PGs mein rehte hain. Ek kamre mein 2-3 log ek saath kaise padhenge? Aur refrence material bhi chahiye hota hai.”
Singh says that they will continue to protest till the demands are met. “Proctor ne kaha tha kuch karenge par kuch hua nahi hai ab tak. Initially, the administration had retaliated by bringing in guards and members of the administration but ab toh woh bhi nahi ho raha,” he says, adding, “Saalo se political parties keh rahi hain ki library 24x7 karvayengi but nothing comes of it. Now the students have taken the matter in their own hands.”
On contacting the administration, the DU proctor, Neeta Sehgal, told us, “We’re trying to do the best that we can for the students.”
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