JNUSU initiates indefinite hunger strike in response to student demands
NEW DELHI: Around Sixteen students from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), including key office bearers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) - Dhananjay (President), Avijit (Vice President), Priyanshi (General Secretary) and Sajid (Joint Secretary) - began an indefinite hunger strike on August 12, seeking a response from the university administration on their charter of demands.
The hunger strike, initiated on the night of August 11, underscores the growing frustration among students over unresolved issues that have been pending since April.
The JNUSU’s charter of demands includes the revocation of the Chief Proctor Office (CPO) manual, reinstatement of the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH), and the withdrawal of proctorial inquiries initiated against students protesting on issues related to water scarcity and gender justice.
“The JNUSU called for a university strike today after repeatedly trying to meet the Vice-Chancellor regarding the Charter of Demands submitted in April,” said Dhananjay, the JNUSU President, in an official statement. According to Dhananjay, the administration, under Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, has refused to engage positively with the union’s demands over the past four months. “On the few occasions she did meet us, she simply stated that the university lacks funds,” he added.
The CPO manual, which was officially notified last year, has been a significant point of contention. It imposes fines of up to ₹20,000 for protesting in prohibited areas of the campus and engaging in any form of indiscipline, which students argue stifles their right to protest.
Among the key demands listed in the charter are the immediate opening of Barak Hostel, an increase in the Merit Cum Means (MCM) scholarship to ₹5,000 with its extension to students from the School of Engineering (SOE), the scrapping of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in favour of reinstating GSCASH, and the reduction of viva voce weightage to 10-15 per cent.
Other demands include reinstating the JNUEE (Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Examination), ensuring an accessible campus for students with disabilities, swift renovation of all hostels, the introduction of a bus service within the campus, and a reduction in fees for the Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management and Entrepreneurship (ABVSME).
The JNUSU’s ongoing protest follows the university Strike called on August 7, after repeatedly trying to meet the VC on the Charter of Demands and Mashal Juloos (torch march) held on August 5.
