The students, 14 of whom are still on strike out of the 17 that started, are in protest against the report that has imposed fines on and ordered the rustication of many students, for their supposed involvement in the events of February 9.
Despite the threat of extreme action against outsiders, Jawaharlal Nehru University's alumni showed up on campus, Saturday, for a day-long relay hunger strike against the administration's punitive High Level Executive Committee report. The alumni, and the JNU Teachers Association came out in support of the students now on the 10th day of their indefinite hunger strike.
The students, 14 of whom are still on strike out of the 17 that started, are in protest against the report that has imposed fines on and ordered the rustication of many students, for their supposed involvement in the events of February 9.
Talks with Vice Chancellor M Jagdesh Kumar have not been going well, according to updates from the Teachers' Association and the Students Union. In a statement, JNUTA said that the administration "chose to threaten JNUTA on the basis of hearsay". A public call was given day before to JNU alumni to show up in support. However, the administration responded by saying that calling outsiders into campus could undermine "peace and security in campus" and that they could "take steps to evict outsiders" if need be.
Speaking to dna, senior journalist Jawed Naqvi said that this report was "thuggery" on part of the administration, and they were afraid of the Left and the Dalit movement coming together. "The Left politics at the national level is moribund. I would follow these youngsters of the student movement," he said, adding that the crackdown in JNU was not on left politics, but on democracy.
Entering the campus on Saturday was especially tough, with visitors asked not only for the name and number of whoever they were visiting, but the number of hours they would be on campus. the guards also, most unusually, called up hostels to cross check the reference given.
JNU Student Union president Kanhaiya Kumar had to withdraw from the strike after collapsing and ending up admitted at AIIMS, and was told he was at the risk of contracting jaundice. However, the rest of the students, including Umar Khalid, JNUSU general secretary Rama Naga, the JNU AISA unit president Shweta Raj, among other have continued with the strike. All students have lost at 4 to 5 kgs in these ten days, due to the heat and oppressive weather, according to their peers. Like Kanhaiya, Umar and Rama Naga, few off the other students on strike are also in the crosshairs of the administration; Kanhaiya was fined Rs 10,000, Umar Khalid was fined Rs 20,000 and rusticated for a semester, Anirban Bhattacharya was declared out of bounds for five years, Rama Naga was fined Rs 20,000.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}