‘We Won’t Eat Until We Get Written Order’: Pune Tribal Students’ Hunger Strike Enters Day 15; Narhari Zirwal’s Remark Sparks Anger

Pune: The hunger strike by tribal students in Pune’s Manjari area entered its 15th day on Thursday, with several students reporting a decline in health. The students have refused to end their protest despite a five-hour meeting with Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uike.

The students said they would continue the hunger strike until the government gives them a written order accepting their demands. Tensions at the protest site increased after Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Narhari Zirwal allegedly told the protesting students to continue their agitation while "eating and drinking." His remarks angered the students, who confronted him at the protest site.

Zirwal’s remark angers students

After the meeting between Uike and 15 student representatives ended late at night, Uike and Zirwal visited the protest site in Manjari to meet the students.

While speaking to the protesters, Zirwal referred to his own experience of participating in protests. He advised the students to continue their agitation while "eating and drinking."

He also said protesters in the past would sometimes eat secretly while on hunger strike.

The remarks did not go down well with the students. They said their protest was serious and involved their health and lives.

“If we had been protesting while eating and drinking, you wouldn’t have needed to come here today,” the students told Zirwal.

They also objected to what they saw as his casual approach to their struggle.

“Zirwal Saheb has a habit of making fun of everything, but do not make a joke out of this struggle that is costing us our lives,” the students said.

The exchange created anger at the protest site and further increased tensions between the students and the administration.

Students reject two-day deadline

The development came after Uike held a detailed meeting with 15 representatives of the protesting students.

The meeting continued for around five hours. Uike asked the students to give the administration two days to address technical and administrative issues linked to their demands.

He also appealed to the students to suspend their hunger strike during this period.

The students, however, refused to withdraw the protest based only on verbal assurances.

They said they wanted a government document clearly stating that their demands had been accepted and explaining the decisions taken on them.

The students maintained that they would not leave the protest site until they received a written assurance.

Uike says demands are legitimate

After the meeting, Uike said the students’ demands were legitimate and that the government did not face any major obstacle in addressing them.

“Along with being the minister of this department, I am a guardian to these children. I take immense pride in the fact that our boys and girls have stood up courageously for their rights,” Uike said.

He said the government needed two days to complete some administrative and technical requirements.

“The demands are legitimate and there is no major obstacle. We only need two days to fulfil a few administrative and technical requirements,” he said.

Uike’s appeal, however, did not convince the students to call off their hunger strike.

Health of students deteriorates

The protest has continued for 14 days without food, and the health of several students has deteriorated.

Despite this, the protesters have maintained that they will not compromise on their demand for a written government decision.

The students have been pressing for various pending demands concerning tribal students. Their continued protest has put pressure on the Tribal Development Department to find a solution.

The administration’s request for another two days has now become the immediate point of contention.

Government faces pressure to act

The late-night meeting failed to end the agitation. The students’ insistence on a written order and the government’s request for two more days have left the situation unresolved.

The protest entered its 15th day on Thursday, with students continuing their hunger strike at Manjari.

Attention is now on the government and whether it will issue a concrete written decision within the two-day period sought by Uike.

For the students, however, the position remains unchanged: verbal assurances are not enough, and they will not end the hunger strike until they have a written government decision in hand.