A delegation of eight Members of Parliament met the MHRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on December 5 to discuss the protests at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and to find a way to resolve the month-long lockdown at the central university.
A delegation of MPs comprising of Dr Rajeev Gowda, Dr Manoj Jha, Dr Syed Naseer Hussain, Binoy Viswam, K K Ragesh, Dr L Hanumantiah, Amiyee Yajnik and Kumar Ketkar met the minister and submitted the memorandum regarding the ongoing JNU agitation and academic lockdown. The discussion lasted for half an hour and the agitating teachers and students' point of view was explained in detail to the minister, said sources. Pokhriyal has promised to end the stalemate soon.
Member of Parliament Baramati, Maharashtra and Sharad Pawar's daughter, NCP's Supriya Sule, also met the JNU Teachers' Association and JNUSU members and expressed solidarity with them and the protesting students of the varsity. "She has expressed her solidarity and assured us that she is in support of our demands. We will try to form a platform, not just for teachers and students, but a larger podium so that the opposition parties can also join our fight against the Modi government's education policy," said JNUSU Vice-President, Saket Moon, who was present at the meeting with the MP.
Continuing their streak of Monday protest marches, the students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University are set to march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President's residence, on Monday, December 9. Their demands remain the same — affordable and quality education for all being the most prominent of them all.
The JNU Students' Union called for the long march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan on December 9 after the students conducted a University General Body Meeting on December 4. This is the third long march in the past month by the JNU students.
