ABVP launches indefinite sit-in over hostel & fee hike issues

Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), including Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) vice-president Bhanu Pratap Singh and secretary Mitravinda Karanwal, on Monday began an indefinite sit-in after staging a massive ‘chhatra adhikaar march’ against the Delhi University administration.

The march, which started at the School of Open Learning and ended at the Faculty of Arts, witnessed the participation of thousands of students raising several demands — including a centralised hostel allocation system, implementation of the ‘one course, one fee’ policy for PG programmes, rollback of “arbitrary” fee hikes, and functional internal complaints committees (ICCs) in all colleges.

ABVP Delhi state secretary Sarthak Sharma said, “We have been raising issues pertaining to hostels, fees and safety for years, but have only received symbolic acts in the name of solutions. If the administration does not initiate dialogue, our sit-in protest will grow bigger.”

The DUSU vice-president said, “The protest is not just a list of demands, it is a commitment to protect student rights. If the (university) administration underestimates this peaceful protest, the struggle will reach every college and every student.”

The DUSU secretary said, “The ICC should not exist merely on paper, but also must function on ground. We demand a comprehensive system that upholds dignity, safety and proper grievance redressed for female students.”