Using anonymous messages, JNU admin targets agitating students

 In a sharp attack on the agitating students, the JNU administration on Friday evening shared messages, which the varsity claimed were conveyed to them by the students of the university who want the agitation to end.

One such message that administration shared with the media read, "Threats. This is what I'm getting when I say I will give my final exams. Other students are saying that even those who give final exams will be failed so better stand in 'solidarity'."

The administration though did not mention the name of the students who shared these messages with them, but it alleged that the messages are coming from students who are "worried about their future".

"JNU administration has been receiving messages from students who are worried about their future and are sincerely interested in continuing their academic activities and writing the End Semester examinations," the administration said in a statement signed by the Registrar of University, Pramood Kumar.

Another message stated in the statement, which the administration alleged was conveyed by a PhD student, read, "The agitating students are disrupting the peaceful academic environment in the campus and they are also forcefully preventing the students and our professors and staff from entering our School building... I am required to submit my Ph.D. thesis before 31 December 2019 as I have to join a job to help my family who have lots of expectations from me.

In the statement, the administration urged students not to fall in the "misleading boycott calls".

"Since the Schools and Centres will make every effort to conduct the end semester examinations, students are advised not to fall prey to the misleading boycott calls given by some agitating students," the statement added.

The call comes after the JNUSU on Wednesday night announced that it will be boycotting academic activities in the varsity until their demands of complete rollback of proposed hike in hostel charges, withdrawal of hostel draft manual and resignation of the Vice-Chancellor are not accepted.

On Thursday, a resolution circulated among the students by the JNUSU stated that the university general body meeting (UGBM) has resolved to continue struggle against inter-hall administration (IHA) manual by boycotting all academic activities, including examinations.

"The UGBM resolves to identify 36-day massive struggle against the IHA manual through complete non-cooperation with the JNU administration and complete academic shutdown, including the boycott of any and all academic activities like presentation, examination and synopsis submission," it read.

The JNUSU also urged the Ministry of Human Resource Development to remove the Vice-Chancellor and charge him for "destroying the ethos of JNU" and his "lack of competency to deal with the matter of acute crisis at the university."

A hostel draft manual, introduced by the varsity, has become a bone of contention between students and varsity administration since October 28 when the administration didn't allow the JNUSU to attend the IHA committee meeting that was to clear it.

The varsity administration argued the JNUSU had not been notified due to flouting of election rules. The draft hostel manual proposed to hike hostel charges from Rs 10 for double occupancy to Rs 300, and Rs 600 for single occupancy from the earlier Rs 20.

However, after student protests, the varsity administration announced a 50 per cent concession for the BPL category students, but it failed to pacify students. The issue is being handled by a MHRD's high-powered committee, which has given its recommendations to the varsity administration after several meetings with students and their representatives.IANS