Press Release, 28.10.2012

From the site of DUTA’s Indefinite Relay Hunger Strike today, DUTA President Amar Deo Sharma has appealed to newly appointed HRD Minister Pallam Raju to immediately intervene in the interests of thousands of Delhi University students, teachers and karamcharis who are demanding the restoration of democratic functioning, fulfillment of the constitutional obligation of implementing the Government’s Reservation policy in all entry-level appointments and the immediate roll back of ill-conceived examination reforms which threaten to destroy the credibility and sanctity of Delhi University examinations.

On the 19th consecutive day of the Hunger strike mother and daughter duo, Prof. Tanya Roy of department of GRS and her daughter Tara, a student, sat on Hunger Strike alongside Academic Council member Prof. Amitava Chakraborty. Students and karamcharis have started coming out in open support of DUTA’s Hunger Strike as they feel that the DUTA is putting up a just and valiant fight against the V-C’s perversion of acceptable norms of decision-making within the University, the undermining of democracy and changes that will have far reaching and negative consequences on the academic and liberal character of Delhi University.

Teachers from other colleges and departments like Rajdhani College, Department of Modern Indian Languages and Deshbandhu College also sat on the Hunger Strike today. Despite the night temperatures falling steadily, the University authorities today made a fuss over the DUTA wanting to get warm mattresses and blankets in for the teachers on Hunger Strike. Though this was accomplished eventually through the teachers’ relentless pressure, the University administration continues its harsh stand against teachers and students and seems unwilling to relent or negotiate. Buoyed by the widespread support it has managed to garner, the DUTA leadership is determined to scale the agitation up in coming days. It has announced a combined March of students, teachers and karamcharis on 31st October which will culminate in the burning of the V-C’s effigy.

S.D. Siddiqui, Secretary                                                      Amar Deo Sharma, President