Since the beginning of the lockdown, various student groups across the country have been demanding the their governments to completely waive off rent for students. The SFI has now taken it a step ahead by filing a suo motto writ in the Supreme Court on June 2, asking the central government to waive off rents. The petition also throws light on the issues faced by stranded students and migrant labourers during the pandemic and the lockdown.
When the lockdown began, the Delhi government had asked the landlords to waive off rent for students for a month. However, the SFI National President VP Sanu tells us that despite this, a lot of students were threatened by their landlords. "A lot of them were forced to pay their rent. Others who had gone to their homes during the lockdown were threatened over the phone, saying that their luggage will be thrown out if they don't pay the rent," he says.
"Most of these students are dependent on their families for their educational expenses and therefore it is an additional burden for them to pay the rents for these months of lockdown. It is respectfully submitted that a majority of the population of our country is employed in the informal sector; several of their incomes are unstable during this time. Therefore, payment of rent for the months of lockdown at a later date would also be extremely difficult for the students as many of them come from humble financial backgrounds," reads the petition.
