The #OccupyUGC movement begin on 21 October 2015, following the shocking decision taken by a UGC committee (constituted for enhancement of non NET fellowship) to scrap the non NET fellowship being currently provided to researchers pursuing M. Phil. and Ph.D. in Central Universities. In the memorandum submitted to the UGC by JNUSU (including representatives from AISF and AISA), it was demanded that the decision to scrap non NET fellowship be immediately revoked; the scholarship amount be increased from 5000 to 8000 for M.Phil. and from 8000 to 12,000 for Ph.D.; that the fellowship also be extended to research scholars in all State Universities; and that government of India refuse to sign on the WTO agreement in December this year. However, despite several protests and the refusal of the students to leave the UGC premises, the UGC authorities have refused to address the demands of the students. The Union Minister for MHRD too has refused to meet the protesting students (only choosing to speak BJP’s own student wing ABVP and instructing it to confuse and demobilise student movement). Further, the committee formed by the MHRD as a result of the pressure exerted by the OccupyUGC movement, far from addressing the demands of the students, aims to further restrict the scope of the fellowships by subjecting them to various merit and income based conditions. The students have outrightly rejected such diversionary tactics of the government to not address the real issue.
After a brutal lathi charge afflicted on protesting students on 27 October, where several common students and student activists including several from AISA, the students have remained undeterred. Not only have they refused to end the movement, they have courageously continued to occupy the UGC and turn into a site of day and night protest. In the last week, several eminent scholars and teachers have gathered at ITO to express solidarity with the students. Members of JNUTA, DUTA, AUTA, faculty members from Jamia, IIT, former members of UGC like Prof. Yogendra Yadav, have regularly been joining the protesting students in an expression of solidarity. Several teachers like Prof. Janaki Nair, Dr. Naveen Gaur, Prof. Hargopal have been conducting open classes at the barricades on topics ranging from ‘Feminism and the Democratisation of Higher Education’ to ‘Science Research in Times of Fund Cuts. The open classes are being accompanied by regular performances by various cultural groups like Sangwari, Swar, Janrang and others. Movie screenings have also been organised at the site of protest. The arrival of winters has failed to dampen the zeal of students, as lighting fire on the streets near ITO, they continue to OccupyUGC.
The last week has not just witness the movement intensify at the UGC office but also the spread of the movement across the country. The movement has spread to colleges and universities across the country like Hyderabad, NEHU Shillong, Sikkim, Gujarat, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Wardha, Allahabad, Pondicherry, Chandigarh, Sagar, Rohtak and elsewhere. Regional offices of the UGC across are being bombarded by students. Over the past two weeks, the OccupyUGC movement has received inspiring solidarity from #FeesMustFall movement of South Africa, FTII and also various other progressive sections. However, as in case of Delhi, the spread of movement in other places too have been met by brutal crackdowns. On 2 November 2015, an occupy UGC call was given by AISA, USDF, PERIODS, RADICAL, SFI, AISF, AISB, PSU and AIDSO. As the protest began, the students were mercilessly beaten up the state police and several students including AISA activists like Com. Abhishek and Com. Ipsita were brutally beaten up. 26 activists were arrested and taken to a police station whose location was not disclosed to them. Unfortunately for the state and central governments keen to sell out education, as was witnessed in Delhi, the state crackdown failed to deter the students who are continuing their protest in even larger numbers.
As the December deadline approaches for signing the WTO agreement which will confirm the status of education as a tradable commodity, the OccupyUGC movement that is gaining strength with every passing day has shown the firm resolve of the student community in India that will not allow access to higher education and opportunity for knowledge creation to be converted into privileges for some and denied to others. CPI (ML) salutes the student movement and expresses solidarity with them.
