They could have run out into the street or marched, raising slogans against authorities.

They could have boycotted classes and gheraoed principals or hurled stones and indulged in violence.

If they had, it might have produced a different result. Perhaps, an end to the whole issue. After all, they are 860 students against one administration.

But, the students of GB Pant Government Engineering College, Okhla, chose to put all their energy to collect documents which exposed a possible scam while leaving them in the lurch. Paper over fists.

The background story

GB Pant Government Engineering College was established in 2007, and the students claim, with a promise by the Delhi government that the campus will be built on 60 acres of land out of the 65 acres available to GB Pant Polytechnic. The university website backs this claim. But this promise was never kept as the campus was started in an abandoned hostel building of GB Pant Polytechnic on 2.48 acres (built in 1960). The building does not have proper classrooms as lectures take place in what were previously hostel rooms. The college lacks a hostel, proper auditorium, library, laboratory and playground. The classrooms are in a terrible condition with the paint peeling off and faulty electrical wiring.

The issue reached a head when students came to know about several illegalities and corruption in the construction of Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIITD), an institute situated in the same area, in 2008 under Private Public partnership. A major portion of their land has allegedly been grabbed by IIITD.

RTI; sole but powerful weapon

After a series of RTIs and other official proceedings, students found that the rest of the land was given to IIITD. A complaint was sent to the advisor of Delhi CM, Gopal Mohan, in May 2016 and a follow-up complaint in October 2016 explaining the serious fraud of IIITD. But no action has been taken till date, complained students.

It was even more shocking when they found the documents showing that the Delhi government gave 25 acres of land to IITD, free of cost, approximated at Rs 5000 crores.

The students collected a bundle of documents including the plan documents of IITD. The documents of IIITD from 2007- 2008 shows that they were given loans while other government institutions had been given grants in aid. “Also, the plan documents from 2013-14 onwards wrongly shows it as a state university, while the fact remains that the act does not refer to it as a state university. “By claiming that it is a state university, they are cheating the public,” said Joshil K Abraham, Assistant Professor.

Second phase construction work of IITD is going on. The parking space in the approved plan has been shown over the area where GB Pant Engineering college already exists.

Protest begins

The students started an agitation on March 7 demanding a hostel and better facilities on campus. They chose to protest by staying and sleeping in the classrooms, cooking their own food and even attending their lectures the next day in those same classrooms. This continued for next 20 days. Simultaneously, they were also trying to meet Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

But, the first punch came from within as college management put out a circular saying that no student can remain on campus after 5.30 pm. The students decided that they would continue their protest outside the college gates and spend the night there.

Meanwhile, they had sent an open letter to the CM asking him to visit the campus and resolve the issue. Since the CM failed to acknowledge the letter and visit the college campus, more than 300 students along with their parents and faculty peacefully assembled at CM’s residence on March 27. “But CM refused to meet us and by 9.30 pm, he sent the police and drove us away. He even failed to acknowledge the memorandum we sent,” said Vishal Kumar Singh, third-year B.tech student.

They still had hope in the CM and On March 30, at 11.00pm, the students along with their faculty went to the CMr’s Office, Delhi Secretariat. They submitted a memorandum and met the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) but the CM chose not to respond to the students who waited for him till 7.00pm.

“On March 31, the very next day, we met Manish Sisodia, Deputy CM and Education Minister of Delhi who said that no action will be taken upon this issue,” said Ankur Harna, fourth-year B.tech student.

It was only then that they decided to take an extreme step. As a mark of protest, Abraham, went on an indefinite hunger fast from April 5 to support the students’ demands and to make the government authorities hear them. He said he would break the fast once Kejriwal visits the campus. Though many other members of the faculty extend their support to the protest, they were not ready to be as public.

Abraham has been forcefully taken away by the police on 10th day of his hunger strike

Meanwhile, students have graffitied the outer walls of the university, “All we need is a campus”, this has now become the motto of the protest.

It is strange that when the Delhi government came up with its annual budget earlier in March, it made claims of increasing its intake capacity from 3000 to 7000. While the fact is that there are only 860 seats in the college and the currently abandoned hostel building or the entire land available on G B Pant Polytechnic campus cannot cater to the needs of 7000 students and hence the plan seems farfetched unless G B Pant Engineering College is given 150 acres of land. “It is pathetic that the government doesn’t even know how many seats this college has,” said Abraham.

Finally meeting the CM!

After having a long wait and repeated attempts, students met Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday. He assured the students to visit campus on April 24 after the MCD Elections got over, keeping the moral code of conduct in mind.

“When we explained the whole issue, CM responded  that he wasn’t aware of the situation. Then we showed him the documents which were signed by CM’s office. He just looked at us and remained silent,” said Harna.

Curtail their dreams

Lack of infrastructure has become a hindrance to their career dreams as well. “Due to lack of basic amenities, we don’t get any good placements offers as no company wants to come here,” said Vishal. “Infosys has informed us that they will conduct placements from next year onwards only if there is enough facility to accommodate students from various campuses,” said Abraham.

On Friday, a large number of police entered the campus at 10 pm in the night and took Abraham away. The video footage posted by the students shows police telling Abraham that he is not well, hence they are going to shift him to the hospital.