Students of English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) have decided to go on an indefinite and relay hunger strike starting at 1 p.m. on Monday until their demands are met. The students said the decision came in response to the alleged apathy towards students’ concerns and the alleged repressive measures employed to curb dissent on the campus.
The demands by the students include justice for the survivor and arrest of the perpetrators involved in the sexual assault; withdrawal of the wrongful FIRs and show-cause notices against students; and the reconstitution of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) with elected student representatives, strictly in accordance with the UGC regulations, and without the administrative members, especially those who have shown their inability to handle such a case sensitively and responsibly.
How it began
On October 16, the students began a protest demanding the reconstitution of the Sensitisation, Prevention and Redressal of Sexual Harassment (SPARSH) committee and holding democratic elections to the student body. Two days later, on the night of October 18, a student was allegedly ambushed and sexually assaulted by two unidentified men on the campus.
The students have now demanded the removal of the proctorial board, claiming that they have prioritised surveillance over safety, failed to ensure security for students, and showed themselves to be deeply anti-student and insensitive. They also called for the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor, who, they claimed, has overstayed his rightful tenure, evaded students’ demands for an open meeting and tacitly condoned the administration’s targeting of students through tactics of intimidation.
“Our demand is also for immediate conduct of the student union elections, to which the Vidhan Sabha elections are not an impediment. [We seek] immediate cessation of surveillance and harassment of students by guards and lifting of restrictions on students’ mobility and access to campus spaces. We insist that these demands be met immediately and a declaration of the same be given to us in writing,” said the students.
