Protest by govt hostel students in Mumbai gets support from across state

Students from the Chembur hostel began their protest on February 12 with issues such as inadequate facilities, outdated policy regulations and unpaid stipend. Realising that SJD-run hostels are grappling with the same issues, irrespective of their locations, student residents across the state have extended their support.

Advocate Buddhabhushan Rajratna from Ambedkar Students Association, who was also formerly a resident of the Chembur hostel, said, “Students from Satara and Jalgaon have already submitted their memorandum to local authorities whereas students from Pune, Aurangabad and few other places are going to protest in the coming week. We hope that our issues will be heard as our voices unite.”

Rajratna shared that SJD runs over 350 hostels across state with all residents having the same issues. “While lacuna in basic infrastructural facilities is on one side, there is complete unwillingness of the government to revise its dated policies which are not in sync with the new age. Additionally, the government has extended mess-food contracts to private companies moving aside the regular Women Self Help groups which were providing quality food.”

A resident of a hostel located in Satara’s Khatav taluka, requesting anonymity, shared, “When we came to know of the protest, we realised that we are facing the same issues, rather much worse infrastructural facilities and we immediately extended our support.”

“Our hostel has capacity for 75 students, but only 25 are staying here because the condition is so bad that students have preferred to leave their higher education plans,” added the students while sharing photos of broken doors, exposed electric wires and switch boards etc.

A resident of Chembur hostel, Rahul Pandagale, said, “The SJD hostels continue to run with parameters fixed in the year 2011. The situations have changed so much in the past over a decade’s time. Even today in SJD hostel, ten students are expected to share one desktop computer, and hostels do not have Wi Fi services. Forget about new-age facilities, even basic services such as locks on bathroom doors are missing. But the amount of tenders for food contractors and other services have increased continuously, citing rising cost.”

Denying that the government has ignored students’ issues, Sumant Bhange, Secretary. Social Justice and Special Assistance Department said that total three meetings have been held with the protesting students by senior department officials to understand their issues. “Students need not protest as their demands are already discussed and under active consideration by the government. Their day-today issues will be resolved by local authorities, but policy level decisions will have to follow required procedure and the same is communicated to them,” said Bhange as he urged that students should now focus on academics.