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print versionUniversity Community for Democracy
PRESS RELEASE
10 August 2010
What Kind of National Pride depends on the eviction of students and poor people of the city? Do we want a world class city that is built by workers who are not paid the minimum wages even as they toil for 16 hours under inhuman working conditions? The University reflects how democratic a society is. Can we reclaim our university which has been turned into a zone of exploitation in the name of the Games? Why have the rents skyrocketed and the students being forced to pay for the Games? Is the University and the Delhi government not responsible for this? The University Community for Democracy has been challenging a number of decisions taken by both Delhi University and the government with regard to the commonwealth games for over a month now. The Forum is deeply concerned by the gross violations of rights that the city has witnessed in the name of the Games and condemns the irresponsible manner in which Delhi is being prepared for this mega event. UCD grew out of the urgent need to collectively resist these actions.
Delhi University, in the middle of a semester finds itself at the heart if the CWG frenzy and as members of the university community we have come together to voice our dissent. One of the issues taken up by UCD is the eviction of students from hostel and the unbridled rise of rent rates all around the university. This has made housing unaffordable not only for students but all those who have been residing in these areas all along. The decision to accept 20 crores and to evict students was absolutely undemocratic and no heed was paid to the plight of students. We demand that the university take responsibility for it students by providing alternative accommodation, regulating rents and also subsidizing hostel fees the following year. The Dean of colleges has said on record that that the university administration can do nothing in effect but appeal to colleges with a strongly worded letter and that Delhi University is not responsible for this decision; further, that the colleges are autonomous institutions who have taken their own decisions as in the case of the semester system against the will of the University administration. Why are the students being held hostage in this warfare or ego clashes between the DU administration on one side and the colleges on the other side? Aren’t they both responsible for the students and the university as a whole? We fight this battle with the university (which includes the colleges) while being fully aware that what we are being subjected to in the University is a direct outcome of the same reckless logic by which the rest of the city is being re-made. The onus is always conveniently shrugged off by one over another.
We will be going on a relay hunger strike from 9 AM TO 9 PM, 12TH AUGUST THURSDAY ONWWARDS at the Arts Faculty Main gate, North Campus.
Contact:cwgresistance(AT)gmail.com, Devika Narayan: 9278338726, Bonojit Hussain: 9873374945
Facebook : Resist Forced Eviction of Students in the name of Commonwealth Games
- Relay Hunger Strike Poster - August 2010
- by University Community for Democracy (New Delhi)
