JNU students form human chain to protest against attendance rules

NEWDELHI: Students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University formed a human chain on the campus on Saturday in a protest against the mandatory attendance policy.

About thousand students, and a section of teachers participated in the ‘human chain protest’ which started at Ganga Dhaba around 4pm, up to the vice chancellor’s house. By around 8.30pm, the students assembled outside the administrative block.

This act is in violation of the JNU and Delhi High Court orders which banned protests within 100 metres of the administrative building.

On Friday, students from across party lines observed a strike together against a new circular making attendance a criterion for availing scholarship. However, a scuffle broke out among students of different groups while the human chain moved towards the residence of the V-C on Saturday.

The JNU Students Union (JNUSU), which is led by an alliance of Left-leaning organisations, alleged that they were attacked by members of the Congress’s NSUI. “NSUI members attacked JNUSU members and common students. They shoved and pushed us when we were trying to go to the V-C’S house...,” said Simone Zoya Khan, the vicepresident of the JNUSU, who added that the scuffle allegedly broke out near the administrative block.

The NSUI members, however, denied the allegations. “We are already facing a fine and disciplinary action for protesting against the new directive. Why would we attack the JNUSU? In fact, they stopped students from going near the administrative block, because they are afraid to breach the 100m rule,” said Mukesh Kumar, the vice president of the NSUI’S JNU unit.

Kumar, along with at least three other NSUI students, were served notices by the chief proctor’s office imposing a ₹20,000 fine on them for blocking a road to the administrative block.

The Rss-backed ABVP’S JNU unit president, Vijay Kumar, said they did not participate in the human chain. The JNU administration was unavailable for comment.