An indefinite hunger strike against fee hike at Panjab University, by members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), entered the 11th day here on Friday.
NSUI leader Manoj Lubana said they would soon meet Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh and Governor V.P.Singh Badnore over the issue.
“We want the university to immediately withdraw the fee hike order. We will meet Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh and Governor V. P. Singh Badnore to chalk out a solution and to seek proper funding for the university.”
(According to PTI, Mr. Badnore on Friday asked Panjab University (PU) to review in a “holistic manner” all issues including the fee hike, over which students had clashed with the police on the campus)
The NSUI has also broken away from the Joint Student Action Committee (JSAC), which was formed by the students’ unions on the campus to press for a rollback of the decision.
“The NSUI has separated from the JSAC owing to its modus operandi which borders on a political gimmick,” said Mr. Lubana.
The JSAC now includes members of the Panjab University Students’ Union, Students’ Front, and Students’ Organisation of India. Other students’ body at the university, including Students For Society and Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad, did not join the committee.
On Tuesday, a protest organised on the campus against fee hike turned violent after the students and the police clashed. Twenty-two policemen were injured, while 52 students were arrested on charges of rioting and damage to public property.
Renewed stir
The Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC), meanwhile, intends to resume its agitation if the fee hike order is not withdrawn.
