Students Protest Against Fee Hike In Pune University; Agitation Continues For Third Consecutive Day
Pune, 14th October 2022: Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has increased the fees several times during the Covid-19 period. An indefinite sit-in movement has been going on since 1qth October against the fee hike. Many students, parties and organisations have participated in this protest.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Karjat-Jamkhed MLA Rohit Pawar said that inflation has increased and many students will be deprived of education. He said, “You are not fighting for yourselves but all and creating a revolution. I am here to tell you that there is support from people like us. Continue the agitation until the demands are met. Our problems should be solved in a non-violent manner, but the way out should be through discussion.”
He added, “It is wrong if the officials in the administration are telling us how to speak and behave. If the situation continues, the administration is responsible. Every youth has the power to bend the administration. In the future, if there are incidents of harassment in hostels, studies, marks and other ways, tell us, and then we will show how to conduct agitations in the university.”
He further added, “The constitution gives everyone the right to protest, so the University has no right to take action against students. Taking action against students is against the constitution. This is a university named after Savitribai Phule, and we are learning because of the struggle of all of them.”
“Since it is a government university, if there is a shortfall in income, the state government should provide funds. It is not appropriate if the university is run by charging additional fees from the students. On one side the deposits are broken and on the other side the fees are increased,” Pawar explained further.
Rohit Pawar along with the students met the Registrar Dr Prafulla Pawar and had a long discussion. In this meeting, it was decided that the fee hike, hostel issue should be discussed and a decision should be taken and the written demands should be given accordingly.
Pawar informed, “It is not a matter of any party organization but students. All are from normal families, during the time of Covid-19 huge fee increase has been imposed on the students. If their financial situation was good, they would have gone to a private place. We believe that the administration will take a positive stand when these students and we raise this issue.”
He further explained the situation with an example stating, “Many may think that what will happen if a few students who are protesting. But in Gujarat in 1972-73, five students sat on agitation. At that time, some people were laughing that this would lead to revolution and transformation. But the number increased every day, and the strength of that movement grew so much that the then Chief Minister had to resign. There is so much power in the youth.”
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