Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) Barak Hostel, a five-storey building with 228 rooms and a capacity for 446 students, was funded by the North Eastern Council and the Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) ministry with the intent to prioritise students from the northeastern states. However, the North East Students’ Forum (NESF) protested after only five out of 88 seats in the first allotment list were given to northeastern students by staging a silent protest during the hostel’s inauguration. Students are demanding that 75 percent of the seats in Barak Hostel be reserved for students from the eight northeastern states, as was assured during the hostel’s construction.
After the students protested, Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering has urged to the DoNER ministry to intervene and initiate a dialogue with the university administration to ensure the implementation of a fair and transparent hostel allotment process that remains true to the original intent behind the establishment of Barak Hostel – creating space for students from the Northeast. He has also called for the establishment of an effective monitoring mechanism to prevent such discrepancies in future policies concerning marginalised student communities.
JNU should do what is right – respect and honour the commitment made to prioritise seats for students from the northeastern states. The university should aspire to provide a safe environment, not take a confrontational path with students who are simply demanding what rightfully belongs to them.