KASARGOD: The students’ strike at the Central University of Kerala, Periya here demanding hostel facilities for all students has ended, varsity registrar said in a press release here on Sunday. The decision was taken by the students themselves after holding discussions with the authorities. The classes would be resumed on Monday, the registrar added. It is to be recalled that the students’ community of the varsity was holding a novel protest under the banner Students Refugee Movement (SRM), occupying the department buildings during night hours from July 18 in absence of adequate hostel facilities.
Sequel to the agitation, the university authorities had suspended classes from July 19. Meanwhile, the SRM representatives in a letter to students on Sunday said that they are backing out from the agitation for the time being. “We had a meeting with vice-chancellor and the university administration was not able to offer any substantial solution to the prevailing issues. The administration said that if the students could come up with a private hostel, the university was ready to arrange furniture, night security and transportation. The university will not extend any financial support to run the hostel or mess. Neither will it take any responsibility in the functioning and management of the hostel.
Another idea by the administration was that if all the 200+ students (who are yet to receive hostel facility) are accommodated in a 3 sharing basis in the existing hostel, the university will build temporary dinning and reading halls to meet the space constraints. Even this will take more than 3 months. This means that all the existing rooms will have to be shared by three students”, the letter said. Clearly, these proposals do not meet any of our initial demands and hence SRM refuses to accept it. Unlike the university administration, we are deeply concerned about the academics of our student community and hence we are negotiating with the administration to reopen the university by Monday itself at the cost of our movement”, the letter said.
