New Delhi: The protest which first began in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on October 28, 2019 continues as the primary demand – rolling back the new hostel manual comprising fee hikes and curfew timings for students – has not been met.
On December 4, the JNU Teacher’s Association organised a one-day hunger strike and dharna to highlight their concerns. They demanded an immediate resolution before “irreparable damage” is done to the interests of students, and also expressed solidarity with their colleagues in the Delhi University Teachers’ Association who are protesting on behalf of ad hoc teachers.
A large number of JNU teachers participated in the hunger strike and dharna throughout the day. Students and non-teaching staff also came to show their solidarity.
JNUTA president D.K. Lobiyal said, “Today, two of the major universities in the capital are in a state of turmoil. This is symptomatic of the crisis facing Indian higher education where administrators and vice-chancellors have discarded all academic, social and human considerations in favour of a purely accounting approach towards the running of their institutions.”
The teachers had organised a ‘MHRD Jawab Do’ march on December 2, 2019 to demand urgent action. The secretary of JNUTA, Surajit Mazumdar, said that the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) had refused to meet the delegation of JNU teachers.
JNUTA said, “If over 4,000 teachers are facing a severe crisis about their careers and salaries while the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University simply looks on, in JNU’s case, the VC himself is threatening to destroy the academic futures of thousands of students. Even as all of this is unfolding, the Ministry of Human Resource Development is shamefully abdicating its responsibilities and allowing VCs to get away with a complete dereliction of duty.”
In a “shocking” move, the MHRD appears to have “abandoned” its own initiative to find a resolution to the crisis through dialogue and discussion with all stakeholders, the teachers said.
The members said that the report of the MHRD’s high-powered commission which is looking into the matter has not been placed in the public domain; neither has the MHRD made clear what steps, if any, it has taken.
Lobiyal expressed concerns that this was not a conducive environment for normal academic activity, despite the scheduled end-of-semester approaching.
Also read: Why are Delhi University Teachers Out on the Road?
JNUTA raised questions on the lack of “concrete solutions” from the administration’s end for the over month-long strike. They said that the process initiated by the formation of the MHRD’s commission has been put in cold storage.
“Does it not clearly indicate that the move by the JNU VC to first illegally push through an exorbitant hike in hostel charges, then refuse to engage in any dialogue on the matter and then descend to the level of a street goon by threatening to cancel the studentship of thousands of students – has the backing of the MHRD? If so, why does the MHRD not at least show the courage to own up to the responsibility of having created an atmosphere in JNU that is completely inimical to the purposes for which the University exists,” asked the teachers’ wing.
“It is the university administration’s responsibility to ensure appropriate circumstances for teaching and examinations. Having utterly failed in its responsibility, it is seeking to transfer this to students by threatening them with its recent circulars as if this can restore normalcy,” explained one member. They insisted that the MHRD act quickly to put a check on the JNU VC and ensure an immediate withdrawal of the fee hike.
The JNUTA also appealed to MPs to raise this concern in parliament and with the MHRD, and demand answers from the ministry.