Student body polls: INSO activists start hunger strike
HISAR: Demanding student body polls in the state’s universities and colleges, Indian National Student Organisation (INSO) chief Digvijay Singh Chautala and five other students started a hunger strike in front of the vice-chancellor’s (V-C) office at Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology (GJU&ST), Hisar, on Friday.
The university administration had announced a holiday on Friday as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order, and informed the police who deployed heavy force on the campus.
Besides, Chautala, the protesting students are Jaswinder Khaira, Manju Jakhar, Jaidev Naultha, Yogesh Gautam and Aseem Dhillon.
Talking to mediapersons, Chautala said, “The hunger strike will end only after the state government announces student body polls in Haryana.”
“The Manohar Lal Khattar-led government had announced student body polls before the Vidhan Sabha elections, but failed to keep the promise even after over three years. We have met the CM and state education minister thrice, but they have not paid heed to our demands,” he added.
He said if the government still fails to meet their demand, student leaders will start hunger strike across all universities and colleges in the state.
Condemning the government and university administration for “driving students out of university hostels”, he said, “Our fight is with the Haryana government, not with any student. Their studies should not be disturbed.”
Soon after the strike, state education minister Rambilas Sharma through a press release said the government’s doors were always open for talks.
“Examinations are approaching, and strike will disturb studies. I appeal to the student leaders to end the protest, as the Haryana government at a meeting on November 15, 2017, in Panchkula, assured that student body polls will be announced from the next academic session,” Sharma said in the release.