We're not anti-nationals: IIT Kharagpur scholar explains why the campus is simmering
"A new breed of anti-nationals is growing in IIT Kharagpur." Before someone says that, please read and understand its implications. Here's a fact check.
They are students. Research scholars doing their PhD at the IIT. The administration suddenly decided to double their fees and you expect students to fall in line? Our universities are vibrant spaces that facilitate the growth of students and thus the country and such ridiculous decisions are forced as a burden on the students. IIT Kharagpur has a notorious history among the IITs. The way there is a compulsion to pay for the hostel whether or not you choose to stay in one is just one example of the corrupt practices of the institution.
The story that many research students, who neither get their HRA nor guides, are now threatened that they won't be able to complete their doctorate should they continue to protest is nothing but depressing. This is the way students and researchers - who are expected to define our country and make sure the progress is in leaps and bounds - are treated like criminals.
The basic demand, which you can see in the several Facebook posts, is the students want to have a dialogue with the director about the decision to hike fee. The administration has banned media's entry into the college, but for the ones in favour of the administration to publish biased news.
They are painting the students as hooligans, claiming the students threatened the director and locked him up in his cabin. They are but students, who want to oppose the injustice meted out to the students and have a peaceful discussion. Ideally, the students shouldn't even be bothered in such a situation. They want to focus on their studies, projects and research, but the administration is forcing the students to do otherwise.
The students were ignoring for long the non-payment of HRA, the compulsory payment of hostel fees, and focusing on our core objective - that is to study.
However, the fee hike has put the students in a precarious position, and the administration is forcing the students to come out in large numbers and protest.
No one wants to spend whole nights in the cold clime, protesting outside the administrative building. The students want to awaken the administration, which seems to be sleeping. The protesters are now being pressured by the heads of the departments to return to classes and resume our assignments - another tactic to make sure that there is a divide among students so the agitations die.
But we want the country to know what is happening to our future - free from media bias.
For more information on why students are protesting at IIT Kharagpur, click here.
(The writer wishes to remain anonymous.)