Northeast students ‘feel betrayed’ as JNU opens Barak Hostel without quota

NEW DELHI: After over a decade of planning and more than a year since its initial opening, Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) Barak Hostel has finally opened for student allotment, but not as the exclusive facility for students from India's north-east.
The university's purported scrapping of the promised 75% reservation for students from the region has led to silent protests on campus and accusations of betrayal by the North East Students' Forum (NESF).
Funded by the Union ministry of development of north eastern region (DoNER) through the North Eastern Council (NEC), Barak, named after a river in the Northeast, was conceptualised as a space to address the long-standing concerns of safety, discrimination and cultural alienation faced by students from that region on the campus.
An email from the ministry to the JNU vice-chancellor last year, accessed by TOI, reaffirms that "75% reservation should be given to north-eastern students in the hostel accommodation" following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the university and NEC.
However, at an inauguration event on April 7, JNU VC Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit clarified that, like other hostels, Barak would accommodate students from across the country. "JNU is a national university where inclusivity and multiculturalism are cherished," she said.
The forum alleged that the VC told the protestors: "JNU cannot reserve any hostel. We follow the Constitution of India… no separation of any identity on this campus."
The comments drew sharp criticism from NESF, which pointed out that constitutional provisions allow for affirmative action towards disadvantaged communities.
"The DoNER ministry funded this hostel for students from the Northeast. Scrapping the reservation is a betrayal of years of struggle," NESF's April 9 statement said. The forum organised a silent protest during the inaugural event.
NESF's discontent was further fuelled when the dean of students released the first allotment list for female PhD scholars on April 8. The forum claimed a prior verbal assurance was given to it that the list would not be issued before discussions with representatives from the north-east community. "This unprecedented move… is extremely disrespectful," NESF said.
The forum has put forth several demands, including an immediate rollback of the allotment list, reservation of 75% of seats for Northeast students, public release of all related documents, and written assurances from the administration. It also called for transfer of Northeast students from other hostels to Barak, and cooks familiar with the region's cuisine for the hostel.
NESF has also released a detailed timeline tracing the project's inception in 2013 — after demands raised by MPs and student leaders. The demand for the hostel gained momentum after the 2014 death of Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, in a reported racially motivated attack in Delhi. Following the death, the Bezbaruah Committee had recommended setting up safe spaces for north-east students.
NESF alleged that campus students' groups had failed to consult or include north-east students in the recent push for the hostel's opening.
A request seeking a comment from the JNU VC was directed to the dean of students, Manuradha Chaudhary, who did not respond.