BHU students’ hunger strike for union enters fifth day

A group of BHU students who are on an indefinite hunger strike since Tuesday, told BHU authorities that they will end their protest only when the university authorities

A group of BHU students who are on an indefinite hunger strike since Tuesday, told BHU authorities that they will end their protest only when the university authorities give it to them in writing that their demands will be fulfilled. The students are demanding restoration of the students’ union, an end to hostel curfew timings and the installation of sanitary pad-vending machine on the campus.

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BHU registrar Neeraj Tripathi and a group of officials met the students on hunger strike and asked them to end the stir. Tripathi assured them of looking into their demands. The students told the authorities to give them in writing to fulfil their demands. Expressing concern over the health of the students on hunger strike, Tripathi appealed to the students to end the hunger strike following the advice by doctors.

He said that a committee led by rector VK Shukla will look into the demands of the students. The committee will review the demands and submit a report as early as possible. Vice-chancellor Rakesh Bhatnagar has invited the protesting students for a dialogue regarding their demands.

Vishwanath, a third year sociology student, said, “The authorities visited us and asked us to end the hunger strike. We want the BHU administration to give us in writing that our demand for reinstating the students’ union will be fulfilled. We also asked them to set up a round-the-clock canteen and end curfew timings in hostels immediately.”

The students said that the university authorities should constitute a committee to reinstate the students’ union. The students unanimously said that they submitted a memorandum to the university administration in the first week of September regarding their demands. But as there was no response, they resorted to a hunger strike.

Rajan, a II year BA student, participating in the hunger strike, said that hostel curfew timing should be ended and a 24-hour canteen should be set up on the campus so that students who study during the night, can get food if they feel hungry.

MA I student Akansha, said that students union should be restored and all students should be given the hostel facility. A sanitary pad-vending machine should be set up on the campus and there should be round-the-clock library facility. She said that the students’ union should be restored so that it could raise students’ issues.

The students’ union was suspended in the university in 1996 after a conflict.