Day 10: Kanhaiya ends hunger strike as JNU students continue protest

As the hunger strike by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students entered its 10th day today, JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar who was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after his health deteriorated yesterday, ended his hunger strike.

Meanwhile, JNU Alumni will sit on a one day hunger strike in solidarity with JNU students at Freedom Square today and at 5 p.m. there will be a Citizens' Solidarity Human Chain from Ganga Dhaba in solidarity with the students on hunger strike called by JNUSU.

The JNUTA is also sitting on a one day hunger strike against the registrar who today sent a notice warning the JNUTA and the JNUSU that 'outsiders' shouldn't be brought into the campus and that if they come in they may be evicted.

According to a statement by the JNUSU vice president Shehla Rashid Shora, ever since the hunger strike has started, the administration has been maintaining a 'hostile attitude' towards the JNUSU and the students who are sitting on hunger strike.

"First, the VC comes out with a notice that the hunger strike in itself is illegal and even in discussions with the students made it amply clear that there would be no revoking of punishments. Now the Registrar has issued a circular asking the JNUTA and the JNUSU not to call outsiders and also not to use mikes and loudspeakers. This clearly shows that the JNU administration is working in an ideologically motivated manner," the statement read.

Shora further asserted that when the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) students were sitting on a hunger strike, the DUSU President Satyendar Awana was given a free hand to abuse JNU students.

Two groups of students have been sitting on indefinite hunger strike since April 27, in protest against the punishment announced by the university against various students in connection with the controversial event on campus during which 'anti-national' slogans were allegedly raised.

JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in a sedition case in connection with the event. They are out on bail now.

While Kanhaiya has been slapped with a penalty of Rs. 10,000 on grounds of 'indiscipline and misconduct', Umar, Anirban and Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gatoo have been rusticated for varying durations.

Financial penalty has been imposed on 14 students. Hostel facilities of two students have been withdrawn and the university has declared the campus out of bounds for two former students.