INSO chief Digvijay begins indefinite strike to demand students' body polls in Hry

The Indian National Students Organisation (INSO), chief Digvijay Chautala on Friday began indefinite hunger strike to press for demand of students’ unions election in colleges and universities of Haryana. 

INSO, the student wing of the Haryana’s main opposition party, Indian National Lok Dal had given an ultimatum to the BJP led State Government to announce student body elections in educational institutions by February. 

INSO president Digvijay Chautala alongwith five other students began indefinite hunger strike in Guru Jambheswar University (GJU) at Hisar. 

Digvijay Chautala while talking to the mediaperons said that the agitation of INSO will now end only after the announcement of elections to the students’ unions in Haryana. And, till then the indefinite hunger strike will continue, said he.

The youth leader said that the BJP had during the 2014 assembly elections in Haryana announced that they will get conducted the students’ body elections after coming to the power but the BJP led State Government has failed to implement its promise in last more than three years.

To raise this demand, INSO delegation has met thrice with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and three times with Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, but the State Government is not interested in students’ unions elections and trying to weaken the movement of INSO, added he.

Meanwhile, the Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma has appealed to INSO to end the hunger strike.  Sharma said that a meeting was held in November last where it was decided the elections to student councils will be held in next academic session so there is no need to hold any agitation regarding the issue.

The INSO should end the agitation as this could hamper students’ studies and their preparations for upcoming examinations, he said.  The Minister added that the government is ready to hold talks with INSO on the issue of students’ body polls.

Notably, the elections to students’ unions in colleges and universities of Haryana have not been conducted for the last 20 years.

The BJP led Haryana Government had last year decided to evolve a full proof and modern system of free, fair, peaceful elections to student councils and pilot it in a few campuses in upcoming academic session.

 The elections to the student bodies were banned by the then Chief Minister, Bansi Lal, in 1996 in view of the unruly and violent behavior of some students group at that time.