Dialogue on table, but not with unrecognised students’ union: Dean
NEWDELHI: A section of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) teachers on Sunday said the administration is ready to have a dialogue with “elected” hostel representatives but not with the “non-recognised” students’ union in connection with the ongoing stand-off over the hike in hostel fees and a new hostel manual.
During a press conference held on Sunday by a group of teachers, JNU dean of students’ Umesh Kadam said the administration was yet to notify the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU). “We have not notified the union because the election committee announced the results of the students’ union elections arbitrarily. The committee had submitted the result to the dean of students’ office in a sealed envelope when the high court had put a stay on its announcement. The envelope is still lying with me. Why should we talk to them when they are not notified? We will speak to the properly elected hostel representatives,” he said.
The Delhi high court had in September put a stay on announcement of JNUSU election results after some students had filed a petition against the poll process. The stay was later revoked.
Student groups have been protesting against changes to the hostel manual and a proposed hostel fee hike for the past three weeks. Although the administration on Wednesday partially rolled back the fee for students from ‘below poverty line’ families, students have been demanding a complete withdrawal of the new hostel manual.
JNUSU general secretary Satish Yadav said the administration is trying to “insult” the mandate given by over 8,000 JNU students. “We have been elected by the students after going through an electoral process. We are the representatives of students’ in the university and the administration should have a dialogue with us,” he said.
Among teachers present at the press meet was Vandana Mishra, an associate dean at JNU, who was allegedly confined to a classroom for nearly 28 hours by members of the students’ union last week during their protest.
“They wanted me to accept the demands of the students’ union, which I couldn’t have because it has not yet been notified. They wanted me to reject the hostel manual which I didn’t want to because it’s needed,” she said.