'Partial concession' won't solve fee hike issue, say JNU students

New Delhi: Even after Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) Executive Council (EC) meeting on Wednesday decided to give "partial concession" to BPL category, students say the decision is a "gimmick" while many students who can't afford the fee will still suffer.

Numerous students sat at protest till Monday night saying that the problem is far from over. Ram, who hails from Rajasthan and is studying International Relations at JNU said, "My father is a farmer and the only earning member in the family. I have a sister, who is also studying. I came here because the fee here is less, but if the fee hike stays, I might have to drop out."

Ram comes under People With Disability (PWD) category. He is blind and has joined the protest to meet Vice Chancellor Mamidala Jagaesh Kumar, who students claim, hasn't done any dialogue with the students.

Another student belonging to PWD category said that about 40 per cent students can't afford the fee hike and may have to drop. "We were given reservation, but nowhere in the new hostel has there been any reservation for PWD category. What I want to know is, what will happen with students like us," said Mukesh, who is blind and was standing with Ram.

Even after the concessions, the students created an uproar on the decision, calling it a joke. They said, no one from the administration had even come out to talk to students.

Speaking to Millennium Post Aishe Ghosh, President of JNU Students Union said, "Changing the venue suddenly to an undisclosed location, is bizarre.

The HRD minister said that they will direct the Vice Chancellor for a dialogue, but the VC is running away from the campus."

She said that they are going to keep protesting until the whole manual is rejected, which was the whole agenda of the protest.

She also said the only reason her parents allowed her to study in JNU was because it was affordable.

The EC (Executive Council) meeting on Wednesday, took a different turn when the meeting location was changed from the campus. In the EC meeting, partial fee rollback was decided, which the students and teachers have rejected.

The administration in a notice stated that as the students were protesting outside the administration block, the meeting had to be moved. JNU Students Union has called the reasoning bizarre. The students who were protesting till late night have said that the partial rollback is nothing but a "gimmick". According to the approved manual, Below Poverty Line (BPL) category will receive concessions by 50 per cent, while non-refundable fees, which was increased to Rs 12,000, was changed to Rs 5,500. The non-refundable is applicable to everyone.

Confirming that the protests will continue Saket Moon, Vice-President of JNUSU said, "We are rejecting the new decision."

The new manual has also removed clauses related to dress and hostel timings "from the hostel manual as per the feedback from the students."

Meanwhile, Ghosh said the protests will continue till the time VC doesn't meet them. The student have barged inside the admin offices and plan to stay there the whole night, according to a student at the protest.

On the other hand, a march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar has been organised by Student-Teacher Karamchari organisation on Thursday.