Even after all the attempts made by the college administration to crack down on the protesting students in Hindu College, including sending show-cause notices, the protest seems to be growing. They have been protesting for an affordable girls’ hostel since July 22. Students from other Delhi University colleges joined the Hindu College students on Thursday. Apart from cheaper accommodation, students asked the authorities to revoke discriminatory hostel rules and sought a transparent admission procedure to the hostel.

While boys’ hostels charge Rs 47,000 per year, the fee decided for the newly open girls’ hostel comes to around Rs 91,000. Unlike the boys’ hostels, neither a prospectus nor an explanation for the fee structure has been provided for the girls’ hostel. The gender bias in imposing curfew was another issue raised in the protest.

As there was no response to the memorandum submitted to principal Anju Srivastava, students started sleeping outside the administration block since August 10. Students from various student organisations like AISA, SFI, DSU and Pinjra Tod gathered outside the Hindu College main gate by 12.30 pm. However, Hindu College students were not able to come out as they were locked in by security guards.

After an altercation between students and security guards, the Hindu College students were allowed to come out and they marched towards the Vice-Chancellor’s office to hand over a memorandum to V-C Yogesh K Tyagi. As an official from the administration came outside, the students spoke about the hostile actions they faced from the Hindu College administration. They also submitted a memorandum to the Dean of Students Welfare (DSW) J.M. Khurana and Proctor Neeta Sehgal.

The issue will now move to the courts after students filed a public interest litigation in Delhi High Court on Wednesday naming Delhi University, Hindu College, UGC and Delhi government as respondents. “The expected hearing is on Monday or Tuesday,” said Sheethal NS, a second-year English honours student.