Continuing its demand for a complete rollback of the hostel fee hike, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) on Tuesday complained of police brutality and manhandling of women protesters during Monday’s agitation.
The Delhi police had on Monday said that there was no “lathi-charge”, but several students who were part of the protest recounted the events which resulted in injuries to them.
Shashi Bhushan Pandey, a visually challenged student, who is also a JNUSU councillor, said: “I kept telling the police that I am visually challenged and even removed my spectacles but they did not stop hitting. Later, I was told by one of the policemen ‘aandha hain toh protest mein kyun aya’ (why are you participating in the protest if you are visually challenged).”
“We are being asked about our so-called “violent protest”, but what violence will a visually impaired person inflict? Shouldn’t this question be asked to the government or the ones with the lathis?” added Mr. Pandey.
Another JNU student, Sucheta, recounted, “We were bleeding and asked for medical help but no heed was paid to our requests. The women protesters were molested and manhandled by the force.”
‘Turned off lights, caned’
Into the 23rd day of its strike, JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, while addressing the media, said: “It was a historic day on Monday as such brutal attacks on students have not been seen in the recent past. The Delhi police lathi-charged students after turning off the lights in the area. Everything seemed to happen within a fraction of a second and the students were left severely injured.”
Referring to the high-power committee constituted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on Monday, Ms. Ghosh said, “We have been told that the Registrar has refused to meet the committee. If this is the state of affairs, then what justice will the students get? Why should we end our strike?”
Demanding the Vice-Chancellor’s resignation, Ms. Ghosh added, “If the V-C is not listening to the Ministry too then he should be removed. We are not going to succumb to the brutality unleashed on us and will march to Parliament several times if required.”
Students, including JNUSU office-bearers, maintained that “dialogue and negotiations” with the administration are what they demand.
“Either the MHRD or the JNU administration should come out with a statement saying that the hostel fee hike will be rolled back. We will continue our strike as we are fighting for a cause,” said Ms. Ghosh.
Priyanka Bharti, another student, said, “They talk about Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao but does anybody notice how the women are being treated? It seems like our crime is that we want to study. We will not budge as we want affordable education and will continue to fight for it.”
The police said if they receive a complaint, they will look into it but they haven’t received any so far.
Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in a statement said: “The ABVP condemns in harshest terms the manner in which Delhi Police placed barricades and manhandled peacefully protesting students. However, we would like to express our disagreement with the Left Unity’s mode of agitation and we have decided to continue our struggle separately from the Left-led union.”
