Several Delhi University students blocked the gate of the Vishwavidyalaya metro station for nearly two hours on Thursday demanding immediate rollback of the Metro fare hike and introduction of a students’ concessional metro pass.
The “Occupy Vishwavidyalaya” protest was called by the All India Students’ Association (AISA).
Several students’ union as well as students not bearing allegiance to any organisation participated. Since the protest was organised in the afternoon, several students returning home after class also joined in.
The students said the fare hike had hurt them as they had to divert funds allocated for books and food to deal with the increase in Metro fares.
Forces deployed
They said since the university does not have enough hostels, they are forced to find affordable accommodation far away from campus and the Metro was their only lifeline.
Heavy police and CISF personnel had been deployed at the venue. They watched as students gathered to shout slogans and demand a meeting with a representative of the Delhi Metro.
When no representative came forwards, the students blocked Ring Road and the police had to use force to disperse them.
A Delhi Metro representative finally met the students and accepted a memorandum listing their demands. The students told the Metro official that if their demands are not met within a week, they will organise a bigger protest outside the residences of the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister.
‘Difficult to survive’
AISA president Kawalpreet Kaur said, “Every step the government is taking is making the lives of students difficult. DU is a campus where students come from different parts of the country and they stay in places across Delhi. The decision to increase fare has added an extra burden of ₹2,000-₹3,000 to their monthly budget and made it difficult for them to survive.”
The AISA president added that such decisions reflect the misplaced priorities of the government, which is looking at profit over and at the cost of the welfare of students, who are the future of the country.
‘Profit over welfare’
The protesting students also pointed out that in times when pollution in the Capital has reached toxic levels, the government, instead of making an accessible and better system of public transport, is bent on destroying it by making is inaccessible.
This is not the first time that Delhi University students have protested against the Delhi Metro. Concessional passes have been on the election manifesto of every students’ organisation.
When the fare hike was announced, four members of the National Students’ Union of India had jumped onto the track and stalled Metro services for nearly five minutes.
