MHRD officials refuse to meet JNU teachers over fee hike issue
New Delhi: Members of Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association (JNUTA) on Monday were sent back without any meeting with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) officials regarding the fee hike issue that has gripped the campus for more than a month. JNUTA had demonstrated a protest outside Shastri Bhawan, in front of MHRD, against the fee hike issue. However, despite being aware of their arrival, the ministry officials refused to meet the teachers, who were sent back empty handed.
JNUTA, who had staged a sit-in outside the HRD office, were protesting against the ministry's delay in releasing its report that was supposed to come out on Monday. Speaking to Millennium Post, DK Lobiyal, President of JNUTA, said that both the teachers and students will be on strike till the time issue is not resolved. "We want to know why has the MHRD delayed the report and why hasn't the fee been rolled back yet," said Lobiyal.
He added that the normalcy the authority is talking about will return as soon as the report is released. JNUTA had written a letter to HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal demanding when will the report be released. Meanwhile, a delegation of teachers also met the HRD General Secretary.
Blaming the administration for being spineless, Lobiyal said neither students nor teachers expect anything from JNU authorities. "This admin hasn't met the students' union. They have never met the teacher's union. Teachers are sent no show notice if they protest, and this administration has given the post of deans to those people who are juniors. We are humiliated," he said.
Heavy police security has been deployed outside the ministry.
On the other hand, students inside the campus have ensured a complete lockdown of the varsity and have not been allowing any of the staff or faculty to go inside the classrooms in order to resume their academic work. "There is a complete lockdown inside the campus. Studies won't resume till a decision is not taken by the authorities," said a student, who sat outside Centre for Informal Sector and Labour Studies.
