Disabled students, teachers of DU stage day-long hunger strike

The protesters -- 28 students and 7 teachers -- protesting under the banner of Sambhavana Organisation accused the University of having an "insensitive and callous attitude" towards their long pending grievances.

The morning to evening hunger strike was attended by several other teachers and students with the protesters claiming that the authorities did not even allow them to set up a tent and even carried out "intimidation" to the disabled participants and their escorts.

The group has been raising a series of demands including a waiver or concession in reevaluation fee of Rs 1,000 for the disabled students, scholarships, non-NET fellowships as well as additional classroom learning support, among others.

The group has demanded that the University constitute an Empowered Committee for preparing a time-bound action plan for the redressal of their grievances.

On January 8, a group of disabled student and teachers had staged protest march to press for their demands and had complained of intimidation.

The university "has been even intimidating those who participated in the 8th January protest," said a statement.

Among other issues being raised by the group are the issue inaccessibility of website, non-maintenance and non-adherence to PH roster on ad hoc and permanent posts; equal treatment to meritorious disabled students in admission procedure; and inaccessibility of libraries.