Mehengi metro nahi chalegi: DU students protest against metro fare hike
Delhi University students united to demand the rollback of hike in metro fares
Aditya Dogra
Aar hoga ya paar hoga, metro ka kiraaya half hoga”, “Paee paee occupy”, “Mehengi metro nahi chalegi”, and “Rollback rollback, metro fare rollback”— Slogans like these could be heard as one approached Gate No 3 of the Vishwavidyalaya metro station in North campus, Delhi University, on Thursday. ‘Occupying’ the station entrance were a large number of Delhi University (DU) students, who had gathered to protest against the “unfair Delhi metro fare hike”, one of the protestors explained to us.
Their demands were very clear — a rollback in the metro fare hike, concessional passes for students, and also an increase in DTC buses plying the University route to ease the burden of transportation costs. One could sense the tense atmosphere, as students had decided that they will take the matter to the streets, and bring the change they want.
The protest — #Occupy Vishwavidyalaya had students joining in not only from the North Campus but also from the colleges in South Campus. Saamarth Singh, a third year student of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, said, “We (students) commute daily in the metro, and for long, it was the one mode of transport that was the cheapest and most comfortable way of reaching our colleges. The hike severely affects our budgets, especially of outstation students. The government should roll back these prices, at least for students, and make moves to better our lives.”
Standing with the group of protestors, Aarushi Sharma, a second year student of Hansraj College could be seen shouting the slogans the loudest.
“This is not just about getting the fare hike rolled back, but also about standing up for what is unfair. Students run on limited budgets and not all of us have the luxury of plying by cars every day,” she said, adding, “Metros around the world have provisions for students, and such a thing should be considered by our government, too. Many have protested such changes before, but the government needs to finally hear our voice.”