As tribal hostel hunger strike completes 15 days, Maharashtra minister says demands to be met

The hunger strike by students at the government Tribal Hostel in Manjiri, Pune, completed 15 days on Thursday, before Uike responded.

4 min readPuneUpdated: Aug 28, 2026 01:54 PM IST

Bande said the protest would be called off only after a written deadline for implementation of all the demands would be provided. (Express Photo by Soham Shah)

Vijaykumar Bamale, who has been on a hunger strike for over two weeks, had been hospitalised four times in the last few days. “I was hospitalised last night also, and I came back this morning. I will stay here till death if our demands are not met,” he said on Thursday.

Later in the day, state Minister of Tribal Development Ashok Uike, in a press conference, claimed all of the students’ demands presented at the protest at the government Tribal Hostel will be met, and the same had been provided to the students in writing. “I request all the students to protest that we have accepted 100% of your demands. You should not sacrifice to the politics of opposition parties. Take the protest back and begin your normal routine and studies,” he said.

The hunger strike by students at the government Tribal Hostel in Manjiri, Pune, completed 15 days on Thursday, before Uike responded. A day after an hours-long meeting with Uike and Minister for Food and Drugs Administration Narhari Zirwal, the students said they were waiting for a written response with deadlines from the government on all their issues. The students had given the government two days to respond to their list of 14 demands after their meeting on Wednesday.

“None of our demands are negotiable. We want the government to give us written responses to each demand and the timeline for when the demand can be met,” a protester Suraj Bande had said.

The students initiated the protest for various reasons and the issue was catapulted into national spotlight after a female student raised it at Rahul Gandhi’s Chhatron ki Goonj event in Pune on August 22. The Indian Express had first reported the issue on August 15.

Tribal hostel protest site at Manjiri Stud Farm in Pune. (Express Photo by Soham Shah)

“Previously we had two meetings with the government in Mumbai and both the meetings failed. We were being told that our demands cannot be met at all. But yesterday’s meeting at TRTI, Pune with Dr Ashoke Uike and Narhari Zhirwal continued for over five hours. They told us we are ready to accept your demands but we need some time.” Bonde added.

At a press conference on Thursday, Uike said the demands would be met and the same was provided to the students in writing.

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However, Bande said the protest would be called off only after a written deadline for implementation of all the demands would be provided.

List of demands

Cancellation of the two recent government resolutions (GRs) that introduced age limits for admission to government hostels.
Shifting of tribal hostels to central locations in cities.

Compensation policy for unfortunate/accidental events in the hostel.
Protection of reserved posts for tribals and recruitment of 12,500 vacant posts.
Action against persons entering government service on the basis of bogus caste certificate.
Degrees of students admitted on conditional validity should be held back by universities until the final caste certificate is submitted.
Abolishment of DBT-based food system applicable to district-level government tribal hostels and implementation of a food system.
Providing anti-snake venom and medical facilities.
Reinstating eligible and duly appointed employees in service through the prescribed PESA recruitment process and subsequently retrenched.
Rescheduling of roster point number five to number 2 for Scheduled Tribes in Small Cadre Recruitment.
Abolishment of Central Kitchens for providing foods to hostels and providing kitchen in every hostel.
Inclusion of Everest climbers in government service.
Providing education in semi-English medium and CBSE pattern.
Launching a ‘Special Startup and Entrepreneurship Development Scheme’ for tribal youth

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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