Students of Presidency University, who had been holding an indefinite sit-in for the past 51 hours over hostel accommodation, took part in a convention on Sunday, vowing not to withdraw the stir till their demands were met.
The group of 70 protesters have been seeking room allotment at a hostel, which is currently undergoing renovation.
They claimed that two of the six blocks at the Hindu Hostel was ready for occupancy, even as the university said allotment would be made after the renovation work is completed.
The Presidency agitation comes weeks after another similar protest by the students of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital over hostel accommodation.
The medical students resorted to a hunger strike last month to put pressure on the authorities, which finally gave in to their demands.
Gets support
At the convention on Sunday, Ujan, a spokesman of the agitators and member of Independent Consolidation (IC) students’ union, said a former principal of the college had expressed solidarity with the agitating students. He also claimed that around 150 students, including those from Jadavpur University, attended the meet to render support to the protesters.
“We know that two blocks of the Hindu Hostel have already been renovated and, hence, should be handed over to the outstation boarders immediately,” he said.
Besides IC, members of Students’ Federation of India and outstation students, not directly affiliated to any union, were also taking part in the agitation, he claimed.
An official at the university said the 70 students had been protesting outside the Registrar’s office since 2 p.m. on August 3, but they were not holding back any of the officials on the campus.
In a statement, Vice-Chancellor Anuradha Lohia had earlier said that it would take another four to five months to make the Hindu Hostel “habitable and safe for students”.
