New Delhi, Oct. 16 -- The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) on Friday accused Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit of expressing concern over the health of hunger strikers publicly while failing to engage meaningfully with their demands.
In a statement dated October 16, the union said the Vice-Chancellor had issued a public appeal urging the hunger strikers to discontinue their protest, but had visited the protest site only briefly that morning and dismissed their demands as illegitimate.
The statement also questioned the administration's handling of negotiations, alleging that although it had expressed interest in holding the next round of talks, no concrete steps had been taken to finalise the meeting.
JNUSU alleged that the administration had repeatedly demonstrated a lack of seriousness towards the hunger strike, relying on sporadic communication and brief visits instead of sustained negotiations. It accused the Vice-Chancellor of attempting to project a humane image in public while adopting a dismissive approach towards protesting students on campus.
"If you are really concerned about our health, then stop creating a charade for the media. Instead, accept our demands by showing the decency to engage in proper negotiations," the union said in its statement.
JNUSU reiterated its willingness to negotiate, while urging students to support hunger strikers.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.