New Delhi: The campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University witnessed another evening of fiery dissent as students from AISA, SFI, and DSF took out a torch march the Mashaal Juloos to register their opposition against the privatisation of higher education and funding cuts imposed through HEFA (Higher Education Financing Agency) loans. The march, held under the slogan “Defeat the ABVP-RSS-Admin Nexus”, began at Barak Hostel and concluded at Ganga Dhaba, with hundreds of students carrying torches and chanting slogans in unison. The protest, led by student leaders including Aditi, Gopika, Sunil and Comrade Danish, drew attention to what the student organisations called “the systematic erosion of public education.” Their key concerns included the growing dependence on HEFA loans that push universities into debt, the withdrawal of government grants, and a steady move toward self-financing models that make higher education unaffordable for many. “The government is turning universities into profit-making institutions,” said a student. “Education is being sold as a commodity when it should be a right.” Protesters argued that these policies threaten the inclusive and equitable spirit that universities like JNU have represented for decades.
Beyond the financial concerns, the march also addressed issues of gender justice and rising intolerance on campuses. The students’ charter of demands included ensuring safety and equality for women and marginalised communities and resisting what they termed as “communal polarisation” within academic spaces. The protest, they said, was not just about economic policy but about defending the very idea of an inclusive, secular, and democratic university. In their speeches, student representatives accused the university administration of aligning with right-wing organisations and neglecting student welfare. They argued that fund cuts, rising hostel fees, and administrative restrictions were part of a broader attempt to silence dissenting voices. The slogan “Social Justice Long Live” echoed across the campus as students marched through the streets.