NEW DELHI : The police launched massive crackdown on protesting JNU students including girls, for the second time in two weeks, with rallying protester defying the violence despite blood and injuries.
Strangely, the University Vice Chancellor, M Jagdeep Kumar is yet to call up students for talks, despite protests crossing three weeks now.
On 11 Nov, the students blocked HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal for 6 hours inside the campus, in a bid to be heard.
Failing to make headway, the protest transformed into massive rally. Protesters including girls, refused to back down despite brutal crackdown by police and CRPF.
There was a brief lull after the Union Minister’s assured students a fair stance. However nothing came out of it even after a week, the agitated students broke barricades around the campus and took to streets to march to the parliament.
The police at several points, thrashed and dragged students - some with blood and injuries - into waiting vehicles and placed them under arrests.
On Monday evening, the students union president Aysha Ghosh and four others were whisked away by police after HRD Ministry said it was ready for talks. They were then driven in roundabout stretches and brought to Jorbad where a group of girl students were picketing the road.
Police asked Aysha to call off their protest. The HRD ministry would talk later next day, police said.
When the students refused to budge, the cops switched off the streetlights and thrashed the girls under the cover of darkness.
In a statement on Monday, the students union declared that, as education costs across the country were being escalated, JNU students are standing up for the entire student fraternity.
The JNU teachers association condemned use of police force on students, describing it as crackdown on democratic rights of the students.
The students have been protesting for three weeks now, after a draft hostel manual issued by the university introduced hike in hostel charges, given the poor background a large number of students hail from. The manual also introduced a new charge, time and dress restrictions, the last two having been rolled back after protests began.
Three-member Committee
Meanwhile, the HRD Ministry has formed a 3-member committee comprising former UGC Vice Chancellor Prof VS Pawan, AICTE Chairman Anil Sahasbhudhe Chouhan and UGC Secretary Prof Rajneesh Jain, to recommend measures to resolve the crisis.
