Hunger Strike at National Institute of Technology

This blog post is not just a story . This is a true incident happening in one of the premier institutes of India. I being a student of NIT know the happiness and dreams of a student when he/she gets admission to one of the NITs in India. Student gets excellent facilities and brilliant faculties and lot more that better education.

One of my friend Zango was also happy to take admission in NIT after he has scored a nice rank in entrance exam 3 years back. He had some choices for selecting but he gave me a wonderful reason to chose NIT Srinagar among those options. I would like share it here. Zango selected NIT Srinagar with a feeling of patriotism and brotherhood for kashmiris, he had a feeling that people are moving out of kashmir with the present issues which is like moving away from the problem. Admiring the beauty of Kashmir he wanted to live in there, He has a feeling if people will stay there, do some constructive work with fighting the terrorism. J&K will again be one of the progressive states.

Unfortunately situation at Kashmir is still same. Two days back some video clips, tweets and emails on internet showcasing hunger strike at NIT srinagar .. It was only after i called up Zanjo, i got the real situation over there. After talking to him i felt very sad. They have to do a hunger strike for sitting in placement interviews. What kind of NIT is this ? Why HRD is not removing administration if they are not able to maintain the NIT standards? 

Unrest in Kashmir Valley has caused serious problems for final year placements. Protests happening in Srinagar has targeted NIT students many times, but institutes's administration is sleeping taking unrest as holiday. No steps being taken to smooth functioning of academics . After students contacted HRD ministry, Director was questioned and all anger came back to students. Earlier Students were assured to have a placement week at Delhi, starting 20th Sep where companies will be doing campus recruitment for students, but at present situation director's response is rejection with words 'It was never authorised or approved  on papers'. Its third day of hunger strike but no action has been taken. In return administration is trying to break up student's unity using ragging punishments. They tried to contact Media but security is not allowing media people inside the campus boundaries. Most of the media is busy with all party meet happening at Kashmir there is no one to help the students situation. Here is youtube channel of NIT students showing some videos of the real situation at NIT Srinagar. Some action is seriously required before students following gandhigiri turn into angry protesters. Please do comment your views to help Zanjo .. Zango and some of his friends are presently hospitalized and are on glucose.

Adding EMAIL UPDATE sent from NIT Students 

Respected sir/madam,

This is to bring to your notice that our institute has been intermittently functioning since 11 JUNE 2010 because of the unrest in the 'Kashmir valley '. This has affected our academics, placements of the final year. No steps have been taken by the college administration to ensure smooth functioning of our academics and placements.

We have been trying to communicate with the director for the past three days but he was unavailable to address our problems. After having called by the HRD ministry, when pressure began to build on the director, the best response we could get was that he came to college after two days of persistent hunger strike and still did not communicate with us directly. Instead he briefed us through the chief warden that the matter of our studies and degree is out of “syllabus” and he is not responsible for any of it.

We are now into the fourth day of our hunger strike and neither a single demand of ours have been met, nor is there any hope of his acting for the same. Regarding the placement of the final year students, we were told by the director that a placement week would be arranged in Delhi from 20^th September 2010 which would continue for about a week, but later he forthrightly rejected it saying that the talk was all verbal and was not authorised or approved, thus it could not be held.

Yesterday (16-09-2010) college authorities have tried to communicate through police personnel, which has not given any fruitful solution of our demands and they were threatening indirectly. As the HUNGER STRIKE continued in biting cold, many students are been hospitalised and are running on Glucose with mere medical facilities in college.

Today (17-09-2010) it has been reported to higher authorities by the college management that ‘college has been running smoothly without any hitch’, but nothing of that sort has been happening.

In the afternoon, Dean Student’s affair, Chief warden and other authorities have met students and instead of sorting out the problem, they are threatening the students that ‘the degree of students shall be withheld forever and it won’t take much time for them to rusticate everyone and send them home forcefully, which has been also done in the past. And they have no concern with us whatever we do, and they don’t even care if they shut the college forever and jeopardize our career’. 

After that in the evening when media (CNN-IBN) came for the covering of the ongoing hunger strike and to communicate with the students, they were not allowed to enter the college gate, but somehow students managed to talk to them. During their visit many students were even not allowed to get out of their hostels and were locked in. Authorities and some faculty members were restraining and threatening the students for attending media persons.

Meanwhile, including those students who were hospitalised earlier in the college medical unit many other students who fell ill were sent to Rainawari government hospital for further medication.

The Dean Student Affairs’ (Amberdar), has threatened the students who are on hunger strike to call off their strike or else police will come into action to dissolve the situation.

In spite of all these catastrophic events, still director is not paying any attention towards students’ demands (which are logical).

Thus this is our humble submission that you in the best of your capacity carry our motive further for an appropriate redressal.

Here are the demands from the college administration by the students,

WHY HUNGER STRIKE???

Specific Demands

1.         As academic is of utmost importance to the institute, our classes should commence regularly from 15^th September 2010 at 9:30 am.

2.       In case college is unable to arrange the classes during day hours, arrange night classes from 15^th September 2010 as it is open outside from 7 pm to 7am.

3.       Placement week must be arranged from 20^th September to 27^th September 2010 as the Director of the institute ensured us about the same in the meeting held on 1^st September 2010 in the presence of Prof. A.H. Mir.

4.       As per the statutes results must have been declared within 7 days after the completion of examination but it is not even compiled yet. So result must be declared latest by 17^th September.

5.    We need written assurance that our degree will be completed by July, 2011.

6.   Ensure security in the campus for all the students.

7.      If college administration is unable to meet any of our demands, give the same in written to us so that we can approach higher authorities through proper channel.

Note: The day scholar students are willing to get accommodated in the college for the smooth run of the classes and they also are in the favour of Placement week which was cancelled by college authorities.

Name of the students who are hospitalised,

1.       Shashikant Shekhar,

2.        Rajesh kumar Rajwar,

3.        Puneet Tiwari,

4.        Subham,

5.       Amarnath,

6.       Yagyan Prasad Sahoo,

7.        Saroj Yadav.

Here is the link to our HUNGER STRIKE videos on youtube :

http://www.youtube.com/user/NITsrinagar10

Threatening video link:

College meeting with police:

Interview of a student:

Glimpses of strike:

Thanking you in anticipation of adequate action from your side.

NIT Srinagar students

The Dinner

There was a time when we were together all the time during college days, myself and my friend were great with each other, we used to share all our life with each other, sometime fighting on small small things and sometimes caring for each other. Those were wonderful days of life. One day we had a clash of opinion over a matter and we stopped talking to each other, and following this series of things happened that we never got chance to speak to each other because of some misunderstanding, though we never said bad to each other, but never got  chance to say good also. Whenever we tried to talk to each other it had happened all bad, later with time we got mixed up with other friends and time passed on. Many times i thought to talk to this friend but i never got the perfect chance. 

Finally college ended up and we all moved on to our paths. Now years after we are working into company for earning for self, we both were aware of the fact that we are in same city, but being afraid of others reaction we never tried to talk to each other. The priorities in life were changed, but a feeling of missing each other existed in some corner of heart.

One fine day i get sms from this friend with same attitude saying that i am angry with you, and i was like waiting for something from his side, i also replied to sms with same manner as i did when we were very new in the college. Yes, our friendship had started over sms in the college days. then some more text messages from his side and more replies from my side, next day morning i started day with a "good morning" text to him, but i didn't get any reply.. now at this point of time i was worried to loose him again, i immediately wrote up a big email to him saying him to forget all old things and lets continue as friends, but i haven't got any response to that email also.  finally at night i got sms reply and we had long time chatting over sms. 

Days passed on with sending sms to each other, finally i called him but he rejected with a sms saying i am still angry with you, i remained calm thinking similar things has happened in college days also, whenever i approached him he was into some other thing and whenever he tried, (rarely :) ) i was into some other situation so i tried back after some more days this time talked for hours finishing balance of our prepaid mobiles. It was good to talk to each other after a long time. I offered him to have lunch or dinner on some weekend, but again i got no good response. 

I eat once on every thursday. Last thursday i had planned to prepare rajma for the dinner, whole day we were sending sms to each other and i returned back to my house at about six in evening, now i started asking him to join me for dinner after some no he finally showed some signs to be interest in meeting. Now i also started giving some more offers as a sales executives does all time, I offered him to take on a bike ride, though i knew he likes rajma i tried to bribe by making special dish kheer for him. now he was close to say yes and i was losing my patients out of hunger, in between i got a call from some other friend and i didn't get chance to reply for his sms. He took this time delay as if i am angry and not replying. After i finished talking to my other friend i had 3 messages first one was normal second one was "u there?" and the final one saying bye almost, i called back him and explained that i got a call, same time i convinced him that similar time mismatch has happened many times and we missed lots of things in past, i again said better not leave this chance of having dinner together and reply  i got was "come outside office i will join .."

The very first thing i did is switched off my mobile, i don't wanted to let him call me back saying "no" for this dinner and i zoomed to his office on my friend's bike who stays quiet near to my house. After reaching his office i confirmed that i am outside his office. He came out of office with a nice smile and we came back to my house, i never felt that we were meeting after years, i prepared rajma and rice for both, he had picked up fruit juice from office for me. and i had a chocolate in my fridge for him.

Talking about the time passed since we met last time, we shared some major things that has occurred and i found we were always aware of what is happening in each other's life. Though it was not a long time to tell many stories but was enough to share all major things of our life. and the dinner was over.  It was to find my friend back. I dropped him back to his house with a hope to meet him again sometime.

Three Travelers

This is story about three travellers in bus, who boarded a late night bus, this bus was full of passengers and many were going standing in between the seats as after this next bus service was very late, This long route bus came down to Chandigarh crossing all the Shivalik ranges of Himalayas and was destined to reach Haridwar in Uttarakhand in Haridwar.


After a break at Chandigarh bus started further journey at about 9PM. let me introduce you the first traveller, he is from age group 25-30 and is a regular passenger of this late night bus. This guy works for a Hotel in this city and is very much talkative. He was standing outside bus as if he was prepared to go standing in the bus, last person to board the bus before it started. Next is another boy, it seems he has rarely travelled in bus, with all his dressing and accessories, he should have his own vehicle. This guy was surprised with the situation here as no seat was available, he did many ups and downs to look for an empty seat for him. but no success, before the bus actually started he was little far from the bus drinking coffee a stall.Ignition of bus engine made him to throw away his coffee and run for the back door of bus. so here first traveller has given way to get him inside before he has closed the back door of the bus.


Bus has started with full of passengers, ticket checker got in from the front door and he was struggling hard to move inside bus. if you are thinking that i am the 3rd traveller you are wrong. 3rd traveller is not in the bus. surprised ! read more


Jig, the first traveller, was used to all that crowd, but for Yulub, traveller no 2, this was very uncomfortable he was standing on one foot on the stairs of bus looking for some place to keep his second foot. he was carrying a mineral water bottle along with him. Seeing uncomfortable Jig shouted,"go inside, door is not closed", he shouted again as there was no reaction on passengers, this time he was little rude and strong in voice, people moved a bit and Jig and Yulub were standing comfortably now. Jig asked Yulub about the destination, Yulub replied his place which was about 85Km from Chandigarh, Jig told about his destination which was some 60km far, later  Jig assured him that he will not be getting any seat till his town. Yulub was looking little bit fine, he had a sip of water standing comfortably.



Bus was about to leave out of the main city Jig was looking out of the window, it was a cold night of November, but cool breeze coming was soothing in side the crowded bus. Suddenly Jig shouted to ticket checker to stop the bus. Bus stopped Jig opened door and there was an old man running towards the bus. Jig made way for him to get into bus, with closing sound of bus started movement. Old man thanked Jig , here comes the third traveller, Jig was calling him as "Pradhan ji", Pradhan ji also use to travel in the same bus, Jig and Pradhan ji were from the same village.

So after Pradhanji got into bus there talk started. they started cursing the new bus driver and ticket checker in this route bus. This driver usually doesn't stop bus outside city, where Pradhan ji used to work, so these days he has to finish his work early and than had to travel extra 5 kms to City bus stand.

Yulub was telling to them why you dont request to have another bus at this time if daily so many passengers are coming, Pradhan Ji much experienced of life smiled he was sure that by writing to transport officer a new bus can't be introduced on the route. but Jig was totally against this statement, he said Govt. doesn't works this way, he had his own ideas, like doing a hunger strike, stopping ongoing bus for some hours and protesting with a road block. They had a great discussion, it seems Yulub was aware of some national funding schemes and he was trying to tell him about them, but Yulub had negative points against all the schemes. later Pradhan ji concluded that govt. introduces many schemes but maximum money given for such things goes into pockets of management, when things are implemented either they remain hanging due to lack of fund or they are completed without actual proposed things in the project, he was wise fellow to stop aggressive thinking of the Jig, in fact he gave some good examples to show how these aggressive acts harm the public.


Everyone at the back side of the bus were listening to their talk. 3 travellers different age group different experiences and nature, but conclusion made by Pradhan ji made everyone to re-think. they were silent for sometime, then bus has reached a place where a bridge was under-construction from last 2 years. here Jig again started pointing to the bridge that it is not done in 2 years, and Pradhan ji tool opportunity to take him into past, when many people had asked govt. to change the road from some other part of the river, for saying this they had troubled the workers who came from outside for construction. and result was construction remain halted for a long time, part of money was shown paid to the watchmen who guarded the purchased construction material, He also told that a greater part of construction material was spoiled and taken away by the local needful. he told this bridge construction would not have expanded for this much time, if people wouldn't have done all that.

Just after some time bus stopped and Jig and Pradhan ji left the bus. there was a complete silence in bus now. after some time Yulub also reach his destination

Now don't curse me if you don't find it interesting .. i was feeling to write blog and i posted this incident. There are lot of things to learn from this blog.


Do comment for sure