HYDERABAD: Unhappy with the chief warden over allegations that he is not taking steps to provide basic facilities to the students, two students of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) who have been on an indefinite hunger strike on the campus, were forcibly moved to a hospital, on day three of their strike.
The duo, Abhishek Malhotra (PhD economics) and Shravan Raj (MA economics) from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP) unit of UoH said that even on the third day of their hunger strike, neither the administration nor the doctors from the health centre visited them to have a discussion or to check on their health. “Instead of addressing our grievances, they sent cops to force-feed us. They shifted us to the hospital,” said Abhishek, ABVP unit president.
Within a span of eight days, this is the second time the university has resorted to police action inside the campus to break protests by students. Abhishek added, “In a university with ‘Institute of Eminence’ tag, students are sitting on an indefinite hunger strike for safe and quality food and water. Students are demanding hostel facilities as per MHRD guidelines, but the chief warden has outrightly rejected all demands.”
Earlier on Tuesday, a day after the hunger strike commenced, the chief warden along with the in-charge registrar, dean of students’ welfare, a team of wardens and officers overseeing engineering and computer network facility met the students, but no solution was reached. The students are also demanding the removal of the chief warden for his failure to undertake and complete long pending work in various departments like reopening of two hostel messes, repair of roti making machines, availability of clean drinking water and sanitation in all hostels of the university, among others.
The UoH administration, meanwhile, accused the students of exerting “unreasonable pressure to resolve all matters within 24 hours”. It added that the mess facility in a couple of hostels had to be shut as a result of an acute shortage of staff, but measures are in place to ensure no border went without food.