Recognising the juvenile stance of the JNUSU, the HRD Ministry has decided not to talk to the protesting students anymore, regarding the hike in fees issue. JNUSU has been protesting over the fee hike however its contemptuous attitude regarding the JNU and MHRD authorities has deteriorated the process of deliberation between them.
The authorities tried to persuade the protesting students with variety of other reforms however the JNUSU remained adamant over its demand of withdrawal of fees hike. As MHRD has refused to talk further, it seems JNU will not withdraw the fees hike decision.
Higher Education Secretary, R Subramanian alongside Joint Secretary JC Hosur concluded a marathon meeting with the JNUSU in which they announced that hiked utility charge and service charge would not be curtailed while the hostel fees would also remain same. Authorities even said that two weeks extra time would be given to the students disturbed by the protests while JNU administration would keep a soft approach towards the JNUSU, as it would immediately call off its agitation.
According to reports, after the meeting that lasted till late Wednesday, the JNUSU officials had given their consent to these demands and proposed to take a final decision after discussion with the governing body. But now students of JNU want to talk on issues which were not on the agenda till now. The HRD Ministry is disappointed with this attitude of the students and is of the opinion that they went beyond the traditions and tried to solve the problem by meeting the students themselves, but the students have adopted a stubborn attitude. Therefore, the HRD Ministry will not talk to students anymore.
Notably, certain elements in JNU have created an environment of hooliganism in the university with protesters vandalising the statue of Swami Vivekananda which was about to be inaugurated, harassing faulty members in the name of protests over fees hike. The students even went to the extent of holding professors captive and even heckling female reporters as they protested against the fee hike. Moreover, these ‘intellectual’ students also planned to boycott the semester examinations in the leadership of JNUSU. Having had enough, the university administration had even given an ultimatum to the students to attend the exams else they stand to lose their studentship.
MHRD has taken a right decision of ending the deliberation process, as the JNUSU was trying to create a political issue in the guise of fees hike for its political masters. JNU is the last bastion of the communists and they are trying everything to protect their influence in it. These protests have become a tool for the liberals to use it against the Modi government.