Rival students’ groups sit on fast unto death

Intensifying their agitation against the punishments awarded by JNU in connection with the February 9 event, two groups of students are sitting on an indefinite hungerstrike from Wednesday. While five protesting students are from ABVP, 20 others, including JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, belong to different groups.

The strike began at midnight after the students took out a torch light march from Ganga Dhaba to administration block. The protesting students also include the ones who have not been punished, but are agitating in solidarity.

“What kind of students does JNU administration want The boot-licking, opportunist, pro-establishment and pro-administration types who will stand against their own fraternity in the hope of being favoured by the government of the day ” JNUSU vice-president Shehla Rashid Shora said.

The university had earlier this week announced punishments to various students on basis of recommendations of a five-member probe panel.

While Kanhaiya has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 10,000 on grounds of “indiscipline and misconduct”, Umar, Anirban and Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gatoo have been rusticated for varied durations.

“The administration thought that if the action is taken during exams there will be no protests from students. Please do not question our intelligentsia, we can write our thesis while sitting on protest and clear our exams,” Kanhaiya said.

The ABVP members who are sitting on a separate strike are demanding withdrawal of penalty on Saurabh Kumar Sharma, who was a complainant of the event and also allegedly want the punishments on the other students to be more strict. Mr Sharma, who is the lone ABVP member in JNUSU, has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 10,000 for blocking traffic. The ABVP alleged that the university has equated “nationalists” and “anti-nationals” while deciding the punishments and has set a bad precedent by criminalising “patriotism”.

Meanwhile, the varsity officials reiterated their stand that the decision was made after thorough investigation by the probe panel and accordance with university norms.