CHANDIGARH, February 17, 2012 : The striking university students were today evicted by the police on the third day of their hunger strike and taken to the Government Multi Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, where they are continuing their hunger strike.
Sunny Mehta and Ravinder Singh Rawat of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) went on an indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday demanding reduction in prices of food items at the Students Centre and hostel mess charges.
The University security staff also beat up students, sitting on a dharna in front of the vice chancellor’s office.
Students have been protesting since the first week of January for withdrawal of the hike of an average of Rs 3 per diet in hostel messes. The earlier protests had led to the reduction in the prices of meals at the Student Centre from Rs 29 to Rs 20. But the prices of many other items are still high.
Mr Mehta said that they have protested four times and have met the Vice Chancellor five times but have got nothing more than assurances.
He said that during the tenure of the present vice chancellor the food charges have nearly doubled from Rs 13/14 to Rs 25/29 per diet.
He suggested that contractors can be given subsidy, like it is done in the JNU. The cost of meals in JNU messes is Rs 15 against Rs 30 here.