Students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have been protesting for days, demanding that 75 percent of the seats in the newly built Barak Hostel be reserved for students from the Northeastern states. The hostel, funded by the North Eastern Council (NEC), was inaugurated earlier this month, but students from the Northeast claim that the administration has reneged on its commitment to reserve a significant portion of the hostel’s capacity for them.
According to the North East Students’ Forum (NESF), the demand for reservation is based on an understanding reached between JNU, NEC, and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). The students cite a letter from the Ministry of DoNER to the JNU Vice-Chancellor, dated August 2024, recommending that 75 percent of Barak Hostel’s seats be reserved for students from the Northeast. The students argue that the university had earlier promised such a reservation policy during consultations with NEC and DoNER when the hostel was being conceptualized.
The NESF claims that Barak Hostel was envisioned as a culturally sensitive and secure space for students from the eight Northeastern states. However, they allege that the university has failed to honor its commitments. The first allotment list, released by the university on April 8, allocated only five out of 88 seats to students from the Northeast, sparking widespread outrage among the forum members.
Students are drawing attention to the tragic death of Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh who was murdered in Delhi in 2014. “It wasn’t just Nido Tania – hundreds of Northeastern students have faced similar discrimination. Barak Hostel was supposed to be a secure place for us,” said a student. The Bezbaruah Committee, constituted after Nido Tania’s death, recommended the creation of safe and inclusive spaces for northeastern students in major cities. NESF argues that Barak Hostel was meant to be a step in that direction.
Some voices on campus have raised concerns that implementing a 75 percent reservation might lead to segregation among students. However, a NESF member countered, “When Barak Hostel was originally conceptualized as a separate space for Northeastern students, why was the issue of segregation not raised then? The real segregation is when Northeastern students are silenced, made invisible, and left to struggle on their own.” The NESF emphasized that Barak Hostel is not about segregation, but rather about ensuring a secure, inclusive space that acknowledges the unique challenges faced by students from the Northeast.
As protests continue, students are urging the administration to honor its commitment and officially reserve 75 percent of Barak Hostel seats for Northeastern students as originally promised. The students hope that the hostel can be a symbol of solidarity and a secure space for students from the Northeast, rather than a failed attempt at segregation.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/video/northeast-students-in-jnu-protest-over-barak-hostel-allotment-demand-75-reservation-1198399-2025-04-13?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2025-04-13 17:16:00
