Drama at JNU hostel meeting, dean falls sick after ‘ruckus’

THE JNU V-C SAID THE VARSITY IS MULLING OVER TAKING STRICT ACTION AGAINST THE STUDENTS

NEW DELHI : High drama was witnessed at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Monday when the administration had to call off a scheduled hostel committee meeting following a protest by students. Umesh Kadam, the Dean of Students, who is also the chairperson of the hostel committee, reportedly fell sick after his blood pressure shot up due to what the varsity officials alleged as the “ruckus created by the students”.

The administration alleged that the students stopped the ambulance carrying Kadam and he had to shifted to the university’s health centre.

It also alleged that the students held Kadam and his family “captive” at the health centre for hours. JNU vice-chancellor (VC) Jagadesh Kumar said the administration is contemplating “severe action” against the students.

JNU students’ union (JNUSU) president Aishe Gosh denied the allegations and said, “The administration did not invite the student body to the crucial meeting. When the students reached there to submit JNUSU’S letter against the hostel rules draft, the meeting was abruptly adjourned by the dean of students.

We did not hold anyone captive and the students’ were peacefully protesting. In fact, two of the JNUSU members accompanied him to the health centre. The Registrar finally accepted the letter in the evening.”

The Inter Hostel Administration (IHA) --- a body that manages 18 JNU hostels—was scheduled to meet at 10am on Monday to discuss the new hostel manual. The manual draft mentions fixing a curfew time of 11.30 pm, “appropriate dressing rule” in dining halls and revision in the fee structure, among other changes. To protest the move, a large group of students led by JNUSU representatives reached the venue.

JNU V-C condemned students for disrupting the meeting and said, “Today the IHA meeting was scheduled to be held at 10am in the convention centre of JNU. However, some students who are not members of committee disrupted the meeting by forcibly entering the venue,” he tweeted.

“The committee members requested the agitating students to go out and let the meeting continue. However, due to their unruly behaviour and sloganeering, the Dean of Students fell sick. This kind of behaviour by a section of students is highly condemnable and outrageous,” the VC said. A senior JNU official confirmed that Kadam was shifted to a hospital and his condition was stable by the evening.