The All India Democratic Women’s Association strongly condemns the police brutality unleashed on a peaceful mass protest led by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union on 11 November 2019. It notes with concern that students, many of whom were women, were manhandled and lathi charged without any provocation, for protesting against a massive hike in hostel fees without any due processes and democratic consultation with the elected representatives of either students or teachers. It notes, that the imposition of such an unjustified fee hike will hinder the careers and education of girl students as well as students from deprived social groups whose parents will not be able to afford this fees.
The AIDWA sees this fee hike as a part of an overall design to commercialise and privatise publicly funded education. It calls upon the JNU Administration to immediately withdraw the Draft Hostel Manual which imposes an unjust code of conduct and fee hike on students.
The AIDWA expresses its full solidarity with the ongoing struggle of JNUSU. It calls upon the Union Minister incharge of MHRD to intervene in the situation and direct the Vice Chancellor to respond to the demands of the a students in a positive way.
