Teachers join mass hunger strike at JNU

More than 120 teachers from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Delhi University on Tuesday sat on a day-long fast in solidarity with Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and other leftist students, demanding revocation of punishments handed down to the students recently over February 9 Afzal Guru event row.

Besides, nearly 200 JNU students also sat on a relay hunger strike in protest against rustication of three research scholars including Umar, Anirban Bhattacharya and Mujeeb Gatto, withdrawal of hostel facilities from two others as well as imposition of hefty fine on Kanhaiya and 15 other students.

“It seems even the weather stands with the JNU. And, our teachers today (on Tuesday) sit with us,” said Anirban sitting on indefinite fast unto death agitation in the campus along with other students since April 27 night.

As the agitation reached its sixth day, health condition of some of students began deteriorating.

Anirban, a PhD scholar has been handed down the toughest punishment amongst 21 students whom a high level enquiry committee found guilty of committing gross indiscipline in connection with Afzal Guru event row, recommending different punishments to each of the student. The vice chancellor not only ordered rustication of Anirban but also declared him out of bound for a period of five years from July 25 which meant he would not enter the campus for these years.

Meanwhile, about 100 academics from West Bengal expressed their solidarity with the hunger strike of the leftist students in the JNU, demanding that the university vice chancellor must reject the recommendation of the high level committee and open a dialogue with his students. ABVP leader shifted to AIIMS

ABVP leader and JNU student Saurabh Sharma, who has been sitting on a fast unto death agitation since April 27, was rushed to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for medical care as his condition deteriorated further.

He has been sitting on fast since April 27, demanding revocation of Rs 10,000 fine slapped on him by the university administration in the recommendation of a committee which probed February 9 Afzal Guru row in the campus and held him guilty of indiscipline.