Undoubtedly SPIC MACAY is one of the most celebrated cultural movements in the country. Its events have witnessed spectacular performances by artists across platforms. But as its seventh International Convention is set to happen in the Jawaharlal Nehru University on June 3, the university's hostellers are unhappy. JNU students who are residing in the hostel dormitories are allegedly being forcefully vacated and are forced to live inside crammed rooms from June 1 to June 11.
According to a circular issued by Dhananjay Singh, the university's Dean of Students, all wardens are directed to ensure that the dormitories are vacant from June 1 to June 11, in order to accommodate around 1000 SPIC MACAY participants. It also says that the students residing in the dormitories are to be sent on vacation from May 30 and that none of the caretaking staff can go on leave on any of these days.
The circular has created a lot of hue and cry among the university's student community. "In the Koyna hostel, students are being issued threats like their luggage will be thrown out in case they refuse to move. For 10 days, one should shift all their luggage to another room, for whom and why?" asks Dipsita Dhar, a PhD scholar. A resident of Narmada hostel, she herself was asked to move to a crammed room with five other people.
The JNU Students' Union condemned the decision. "The decision to vacate hostels and accommodate participants for the SPIC MACAY event has been unilaterally taken by the administration without consulting the JNUSU or the Hostel Presidents," reads a JNUSU statement. It has also asked the students not to succumb to the pressure and vacate or shift hostel rooms and dorms. "This is completely undemocratic. Why should the students even move out," asks N Sai Balaji, the JNUSU president.
SPIC MACAY authorities, on the other hand, rubbished the allegations. "Every year, SPIC MACAY events are held in major universities and institutes across the country. The artists have always lived in the hostels. The students are coming up with these allegations to just defame the event," says a SPIC MACAY representative.
We also reached out to a few participants for their reaction on the issue. Kutiyattam artist Kapila Venu and Qawwali singer Naseer Ahmed Khan Warsi said that they were unaware of these issues. "If the students are being dragged out of the hostels to make room, it is absolutely wrong," Warsi said.
The JNU administration refused to comment on this issue.
