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  JNU panel to look into students’ demands

JNU panel to look into students’ demands

AGE CORRESPONDENT
Published : May 10, 2016, 2:44 pm IST
Updated : May 10, 2016, 2:44 pm IST

Jawaharlal Nehru University vice-chancellor M.

Jawaharlal Nehru University vice-chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar on Monday formed a four-member team of top varsity administrators to look into demands of students on indefinite hungerstrike against punishment meted out in connection with the controversial February 9 event.

The team of Prof. Chintamani Mahapatra (rector), Prof. Satish Chandra Garkoti (rector-II), Prof. Rana P. Singh (dean of students) and Dr Pramod Kumar (registrar) will discuss issues arising from the ongoing hungerstrike. “Solutions can be found only through peaceful dialogue and discussion and not through measures that can also have long-term impact on health and adversely affect the academic life on campus,” the university said in a statement.

The university again issued a letter to the students appealing them to end the hungerstrike. “The administration yet again appeals the students to end their strike and come forward to hold discussion of their demands,” it added. “The students and teachers are urged to end the hungerstrike immediately due to worsening weather conditions and deteriorating health of the students,” the appeal said.

However, the students are in no mood to negotiate with the varsity administration. They have decided to hold a mass protest outside the venue of the academic council meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

A dhaba campaign on Monday was used to appeal to the student community to stay back on campus to ensure maximum mobilisation for the meeting being held in the varsity’s SSS-I building, followed by a protest. Apart from this, the students have also started a “ghar wapasi campaign,” as part of which they plan to invite and convert the democratic thinkers into JNUiites.

“Mr Sanghi Drone (the vice-chancellor) after reading your farmans, the JNUiites outside and inside has started a ‘ghar wapasi campaign.’ It’s an irony that the renegades of Indian freedom struggle and loyal servants of British are talking about nationalism,” said Lata, a member of the Hundred Flowers Group.

“We have to guard our campus from saffron attack as we do not want any such circumstances repeated which took Rohith Vemula away from us. We have to make it a decisive day for the ongoing struggle on Tuesday. We have to convey this to the V-C and administration that no meeting can take place without addressing the issues relating to the high-level inquiry committee,” added Ph.D. student, Azhar Amin.

Location: India, Delhi, New Delhi