Following orders from the Delhi High Court, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students call-off hunger strike after 15 days on Friday.
The JNU Student’s Union (JNUSU) vice-president Shehla Rashid Shora made the announcement on Friday evening.
“All the students organisation were holding discussions on whether the strike should be called off or not...there were dissenting voices but finally the hunger strike has been called off,” said Shora.
Shora added that the parents of Umar Khalid, one of the students who approached the High Court over the punishment of debarment and fine, by the university and Chintu Kumari would “break the fast of the students”.
Students, along with the JNU Teachers Association, took to hunger strike after the JNU administration pronounced punishments over the High level Enquiry Committee (HlEC) by fining and debarring students over February 9 event on the campus.
On Friday, the High Court asked the students to immediately call off the hunger strike, while responding to the PIl of Umar and other students who approached the court against the punishments by JNU.
The High Court had asked JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar to make sure that students call off the strike at the earliest and “only then would it hear their petition”.
Umar had approached the High Court after there was a failure in forming dialogue with Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar who “walked out” of the AC meeting a day before.
Earlier in the day, Justice Manmohan said, “You (Kanhaiya) can ‘articulate’ to the students sitting on hunger strike from past 16 days to end the agitation, allowing the university to ‘function properly’. They (JNU students) will have to end their agitations/ strike. You will have to withdraw the strike immediately. No one should be on hunger strike.”
The court asked Kanahiya’s Counsel Rebecca John, to ask him to speak to the students to end their strike. “You (Kanhaiya) are a ranger and if you speak to the students, they will abide by you and will end their strike. You withdraw this agitation as you can do it,” the court said, adding, “if you abide by our directions only then I will hear the petitions before me.”
“Have faith in judiciary. You will have to give an undertaking that you are going to end the strike and allow the college to function properly. You have to ensure that there is no agitation,” the judge observed.