GADVASU students carry on protest with wit, grit

At Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), students’ protest has taken an unexpected humble and humorous form. As their indefinite strike entered its 32nd day, veterinary students set up makeshift tea and nimbu pani stalls and polished shoes on the campus to highlight their demand for a fair stipend.

Armed with kettles, lemons and polish tins, the students are serving more than just refreshments. They are sending a message. “If ?15,000 is all we’re worth, we might as well start earning it the old-fashioned way,” quipped one student, pouring out a glass of nimbu pani for a passer-by. Another person, crouched over a pair of dusty shoes, added with a grin: “We’re polishing futures, ours and yours.”

But behind the satire lies a serious concern. The Veterinary Students’ Union is demanding an increase in the monthly internship stipend from ?15,000 to ?24,310, aligning with what veterinary interns receive in neighbouring states. They argue that the current amount, jointly funded by the university and ICAR, is insufficient to meet basic living expenses — especially when the state government contributes nothing.

“We’re not just students but future veterinarians serving rural Punjab. But we’re being treated like liabilities, not assets,” said Dr Kamalpreet Singh, who, along with Dr Sahibnoor Singh and Dr Muskan Thakur, continued the chain hunger strike on Monday.

The students have warned that if their demands remain unmet, they will turn the protest into a fast-unto death. They said despite repeated letters, no response was received from Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and no AAP minister had visited the protest site.

“We’ve heard promises about education and healthcare reforms but when it comes to veterinary sciences, we’re invisible,” said another protester, holding a placard that read: ‘From scalpel to squeezer — just to survive.’

Yet, the protest remains peaceful, creative, and rooted in dignity. The students’ stalls have become a talking point on the campus, drawing attention not just for their cause but also resilience and wit. The students on Monday announced that if their voice was not heard, they would soon go on an indefinite hunger strike.