SPPU students’ persistence brings private project to an end

On July 31, Sasane, on behalf of the University Student Struggle Action Committee, wrote a letter to the SPPU vice chancellor protesting against the plan for the proposed project. Its proximity to the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar statue and areas with dense greenery added fuel to the fire. Other than that Sasane said there was a need to invest in more student-centric projects.

“Student and student-centric policy decisions should be taken by the university’s administration. The basic needs of students are still not met. There are not enough hostels to accommodate the students. Those that are there are not safe. Good and nutritious food is not available. Education fees are increasing day by day. Unemployment is high. PhD research students do not get fellowship. Scholarships of other students of the University are not credited on time. There is an issue of students’ safety. The university administration and management council members need to work on these other student issues,” said Sasane.

Akshay Jain, National General Secretary of the Youth Congress, who was a part of the protests, said, “Initially, there was police intervention. However, when they saw the support we had, they allowed the youth to march forward for the cause.”

As part of their on-going protests, Sasane and other Ambedkarite groups from the city had planned a protest on Monday, August 12. However, they didn’t have to take it up. This was because there were issues with previous projects and the Cyrus Poonawalla Group decided to pull out of this recent project stating they were no longer moving ahead.

An official spokesperson from Cyrus Poonawalla Group had said, “We initially considered this project with the intention of contributing positively to the community. However, after carefully evaluating ecological impact and concerns, we have re-assessed our position and are no longer interested in moving forward with it.”

“We consider this a big win for us because we have protected 10 acres of land, around 10,000 trees and the entire Babasaheb statue area. This struggle will be an inspiration for many generations to come. The country has adopted a new education policy. We are bringing many new things in the field of education. Of course, different projects are also required for this. New projects must be implemented. However, the goal of that project should be clear. The student should be the focal point. The faculty and non-teaching staff should also have a place in it. In short, dalits, bahujans, farmers, labourers, workers, poor Marathas and children of bahujans should benefit from all those services,” said Sasane.

”The victory, which is the Poonawalla Group retracting the contract, belongs to the students. The university’s primary focus should be to serve its students, enhance academic infrastructure, and address internal malpractices, corruption, and fraud. Diverting resources and attention to support a private enterprise undermines its core mission and raises serious concerns about priorities and governance,” Jain said.