Despite the verbal assurances of the administration of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to “reconsider” proctorial enquiries against the JNU Student Union (JNUSU) leaders and hostel presidents, the JNUSU remains steadfast in its protest against the “anti-student” policies of the JNU administration.
The students of JNU, led by the JNUSU have been protesting against the JNU administration for a few months now, about various issues – particularly, a lack of updates on the JNUSU elections, water shortage in hostels, and more recently, the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual (CPO Manual), which specifies stringent punishments for political activities like protesting and postering.
The Vice-Chancellor of JNU, Professor Santisree Pandit, gave assurances yesterday, December 21. However, it comes as just “little consolation” while bigger issues remain unaddressed, PTI quoted the JNUSU saying.
Further, leaders of the JNUSU say that they remain unconvinced by these verbal assurances from the VC and only an official written confirmation will do.
Punished despite assurances
These inquiries in question were levelled against JNUSU office-bearers and hostel presidents who protested in front of the VC’s residence against water shortage in the hostels in September.
“The VC assured us that she would prevent the proctor’s office from initiating action against us. Then, we were served with inquiry notices, one after another,” says Anagha Pradeep, Councillor, JNUSU.
Moreover, while the VC assured the hostel presidents that all proctorial notices against them would be reconsidered at the appeal stage, she failed to provide clarity on other ongoing inquiries by the administration.
“The student activists who were given show-cause notices also replied to them, but the administration has not been clearing our name,” says Anagha.
The show-cause notice sent to Anagha finds her “guilty of leading a protest demonstration of 400-500 students in front of the Hon’ble VC’s residence” on September 19, which is against the provision that disallows “democratic forms of protest” less than 100 metres away from the Academic and Administrative Complexes on the campus.
Misleading comments by VC
These assurances, Anagha says, are misleading, as they do not translate to action. “The VC has a habit of giving such statements to the media as well as the student body, which do not amount to any substantial change,” she alleges. She further discloses how the administration has been silent about holding the JNUSU elections, which were last held in 2019.
“We have been demanding the JNUSU elections since the campus reopened, and the VC told us that they would be held in the next academic session after the PhD admissions. However, the PhD admissions are drawing to a close, and the administration has not announced dates for the JNUSU elections yet,” says Anagha.
Thus, due to the lack of a written confirmation, as well as similar statements by the VC without substantial change in the past, Anagha says that the JNUSU is not convinced by this statement.
“We will go ahead with our protest,” she says.
The JNUSU has called for a torch march tomorrow, December 23, in demand of the withdrawal of the CPO Manual, closing of all proctorial inquiries, and the announcement of the student union elections.
