Silent protest marks Barak Hostel inauguration at JNU as NESF raises demand for NE Reservation

Delhi, April 10: A silent protest organised by the North East Students’ Forum (NESF) marked the inauguration of Barak Hostel at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on April 7, Monday, as protesters from Northeast India raised the issue of reservation for students from the Northeast region.

The protest, as per NESF, took place during the official ceremony attended by the Vice Chancellor of JNU, Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit. Addressing the gathering, the VC categorically stated that no reservations would be made for Northeastern students in the newly inaugurated Barak Hostel. “We (JNU) cannot reserve any hostel… otherwise we refuse to take the hostel…and make it into an administrative block…JNU follows the Constitution of India…no separation of any identity in this campus,” Prof. Pandit was quoted saying by NESF.

NESF said that the VC’s remarks have drawn sharp criticism from student groups, particularly the NESF, which has asserted that the demand for reservation is rooted in constitutional provisions for affirmative action.

In a statement issued following the protest, NESF reminded the administration that reservation policies are legal tools designed to support historically marginalised communities, including students from the Northeast who often face racial discrimination and cultural alienation.

Following the ceremony, the Dean of Students (DoS) reportedly gave verbal assurance that the first allotment list for the hostel would not be released without a meeting with the concerned student representatives. However, in a move that has further angered protesters, the first list of allotments for female PhD students was published on April 8, 2025, just a day after the protest, without any such consultation.

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“This unprecedented move by the JNU administration is a betrayal of trust and a blatant disregard for the concerns of Northeastern students,” NESF said in a public statement, calling the development “disrespectful” and “a gross testament to the systemic marginalization” faced by the community.

NESF also alleged that the Barak Hostel campaign has been co-opted by larger student groups such as the JNUSU (Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union) without acknowledging the original demands made by the Northeast student community. The forum expressed disappointment that the agreement between the North Eastern Council (NEC) and JNU regarding reservations has been ignored, and that NESF has been sidelined in student politics.

In response to the recent developments, NESF has issued a set of urgent demands:

1. We demand a rollback of the first allotment list which was uploaded on the website on 8 April 2025. We urge the JNU administration to limit the first round of allocations to only 1/5th of the total seats in Barak Hostel.
2. We urgently call upon the VC and the DoS to address our concerns and demands of ensuring 75% reservation for Northeast students as per the MoU signed.
3. We urge the JNU administration to release the MoU and all relevant documents signed between them and the NEC & DONER to ensure transparency and fairness to the students of JNU.
4. Barak Hostel is conceptualised to be a safe space for students from the Northeast which can be fulfilled by also ensuring food from the region is available through the hiring of cooks from the Northeast or those familiar with the cuisine. Access to familiar food can serve as a preliminary stepping stone to help students adapt more smoothly to the challenges and difficulties of alienation and cultural shock and foster a greater sense of belonging and inclusivity.
5. We also demand that JNU administration provide an official provision for students from the Northeast residing in other hostels to apply for transfer to Barak Hostel.
6. We demand that all students from the Northeastern region be allotted a hostel seat in the first allocation list, regardless of their rank or marks in the entrance exam.
7. Lastly, but most importantly, for all the above demands, we want to be provided all assurances officially, and in a written format, as we no longer have faith in the DoS and its verbal assurances.

NESF emphasised that while they acknowledge the pressing needs of dormitory students, their primary concern remains the unfulfilled promise of a safe space for Northeast students, an idea at the heart of Barak Hostel’s inception. They pointed to past instances of racial violence, such as the 2014 case of Nido Tania, as reminders of the urgency of such a space.

The forum concluded its statement with a passionate appeal to the JNU administration: “We, the students of NESF, demand our right to a safe space as promised, and to be provided to us by our University.”

As of now, there has been no official response from the JNU administration regarding the demands put forth by NESF.