JNU Students March Against Conduct Rules, Threaten Hunger Strike

On Saturday, a torch march was organized by various student groups on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus, with demands for the withdrawal of recently introduced conduct rules, according to a report by PTI. Approximately 100-150 students, including members from JNUSU, AISA, SFI, and NSUI, along with hostel presidents, participated in the protest against the amended Chief Proctor Office manual, which they claim to be "dictatorial." The revised rules impose fines of up to Rs 20,000 for protests in restricted areas and Rs 10,000 for chanting "anti-national" slogans.

Chanting slogans such as "CPO manual wapas lo" (Withdraw the CPO manual) and "Stop fine raj" (Stop the fine regime), protesters gathered at the Ganga Dhaba and marched to Chandrabhaga hostel. The JNUSU declared its intention to continue the protest, suggesting a possible hunger strike if the CPO manual is not rescinded and proctorial inquiries against students are not halted.

Highlighting JNU's tradition of resisting draconian rules, JNU Students' Union President Aishe Ghosh stated, "We will resist this CPO manual and, if need be, sit on a hunger strike to safeguard the democratic ethos of the university." The union plans to announce its strategy for "executive non-cooperation with the university administration" soon. While Ghosh expressed openness to dialogue with the administration, she emphasized the intent to pursue a prolonged movement if their demands remain unmet.