New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration is likely to use force to remove students who have been occupying the varsity’s administrative building for the past five days demanding revocation of UGC Gazette notification of May 5, 2016.
“JNU admin will continue to put sense in this small group of unruly students by talking to them. If it fails law will take its course,” said JNU Vice Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar in a Twitter post.
He said the university officials will meet the “unruly” students, but they will have to vacate the administrative block first.
But the students are adamant that they won’t cow down till the VC meets them. “We will not leave the administrative block till the time the VC meets us,” Rama Naga of AISA.
JNU Students Union (JNUSU) General Secretary Satarupa Chakraborty appealed to the vice-chancellor to “appear” before the students as soon as possible.
“We had made it clear to the Vice Chancellor that he will have to meet the delegation of all students of JNU since all of them will be affected by this draconian UGC notification. But until now, he has not made any appearance in front of the students who have been eagerly waiting since Thursday. We appeal the Vice Chancellor to appear before the students as soon as possible,” she said.
Hundreds of students from different schools and centres of the varsity led by the JNUSU thronged to the building on February 9 night after the UGC gazette was “undemocratically and unilateral” passed in the Academic Council meeting by the Vice Chancellor “without any discussion”. This was repeatedly opposed by the Academic Council members, said the students.
The protest reached its maximum on February 10, completely occupying the administrative block.
The agitating students argued that they were literally forced to take this step after all democratic measure, including peaceful protest, memorandums and pleas by JNUSU, failed to have desired effect on the JNU administration – which is “deaf-ears” and “indifferent” towards their demands.
They said that the new admission policy for entrance to M.Phil/Ph.D made “in lieu” of UGC Gazette Notification announced in December last year will result into a “massive” seat cuts and would simultaneously close the doors of JNU for Dalit, backward and marginalised section of students.
While the administration said that the “students’ representatives are welcome to meet the JNU administration for a discussion, the students, however, declined to vacate the venue unless the Vice Chancellor meets and listen to them.
The students have also alleged that the JNU administration under its Vice Chancellor is acting blatantly under the “dictates of right regime at the Centre”, which is upon “destroying the age-old structure of the JNU which is its strength”.
On its part, the JNU administration said that students have forcibly occupied the administrative block and prevented the entry of staff and officers, terming the blockade as “unlawful” and “unjust”. The administration requested the students to immediate vacate the administration building and let the university function normally.
The administration has also called the agitation “unwarranted” reiterating that the “progressive admission policy” of the JNU will be retained within the framework of UGC Regulation 2016.
“The JNU administration has given an appointment to the JNUSU representatives for a discussion on the admission policy on the basis of written demand from JNUSU president. It is unfortunate that he refused to even accept the letter mentioning the date and time of the meeting,” said a press release from administration.