The Jawaharlal Nehru University has served notices to some JNU Students' Union office bearers advising them to clear the "blockade" or sit-in protest that has been going on regarding the phased return of students to the campus. One of the students, Md Danish, Joint Secretary of the JNUSU, was served the notice on his hospital bed at Safdar Jung Hospital. Danish has been down with Dengue and was admitted a few days back.
Calling this step by the administration 'inhuman', JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh said that the administration does not bother about their students, but is only concerned about protests "as they think it tarnishes their image". "The hostels are not open. The administration has not informed us about their plan to bring back the students. Neither the Proctor nor the registrar talk to us. The Dean of Students is not clear about what the final decision is. We have been sleeping in tents since the hostels are not open and that's how Danish caught the infection," she added.
The letter, which was also served to General Secretary Satish Chandra Yadav and Aishe, accuses the students of setting up a tent and blocking the North Gate. This, the notice points out, is in violation of a Supreme Court order on illegal occupation of public spaces and violates a bunch of the university's rules. But Aishe said that they have not blocked any gate and this is just a sit-in protest to seek clarity on the return of the students to the campus. "The gate is not blocked. Anyone coming to the campus knows that. The administration needs to be considerate and decide on a proper plan for the phased return of the students. We have given our plan when they asked us to come up with a blueprint. But they haven't decided or communicated a proper plan yet., They plan to pick and chose students and the ones who will be affected are the social science students. Just because we do not need labs it doesn't mean that we don't need libraries and internet as well," she added.
The copy will be updated as and when the JNU administration responds to our inquiries.
