Women’s hostels are a non-issue for DUSU contestants!

Like every year, campaigning for the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) has started with a good dose of fanfare. Just like that, the most common issue that finds place in every party manifesto is that of accommodation. All major student wings look to bank on the promise of building new hostels and arranging cheap private accommodation for students.

But the attention given to the internal problems in women’s hostels in DUSU elections is non-existent. The Dhaka complex girls hostel, located near North Campus, accommodates the largest number of outstation students in Delhi University. Out of the five hostels, undergraduate hostel for girls and Rajiv Gandhi hostel for girls (post-graduate) are the new structures. Together, these two hostels have the capacity of over a thousand students. The residents of these hostels stage protests regarding the problems they face on a regular basis. Yet, the issues never find their way into mainstream DUSU election debates.

While NSUI credits itself for the establishment of the hostels, it has hardly been involved in their smooth functioning of the same. Akshey Laakra, Delhi state NSUI president, says, “We have always looked into the hostel problems very seriously. Last hostel was inaugurated in 2012 – Rajiv Gandhi and Undergraduate hostel in the Dhaka complex, which can accommodate 2500+ students when NSUI was in-charge… But our efforts go in vain when we see people holding good positions in other political organisations go on to endorse private hostels and paying guests.”

One of the major problems faced by the two hostels is water shortage. The student’s welfare association of Rajiv Gandhi hostel led by Nisha Singh has run an extensive campaign to solve the continuing problem of water supply.

Nisha Singh, who has also served as president of the student’s welfare association, says, “After research, we found out that the problem lies with the University engineering department. They keep deflecting responsibility to the Delhi Jal Board or hostel administration. Delhi Jal Board does supply water to the common water reservoir, which is shared by Rajiv Gandhi hostel, Undergraduate hostel for Girls and the Staff quarters with more than 70 flats. Clearly, the amount of water is not sufficient to meet the requirements of all the residents in these complexes, and that is why water is provided on rotational basis.” The solution proposed unanimously by the welfare association and the hostel administration is that an underground reservoir should be constructed solely for the Rajiv Gandhi  Hostel. This way, the water from the common reservoir can be used by the staff quarters and Undergraduate hostel. Despite continuous exchange of letters and suggestions by the hostel administration, no heed has been paid to the problem.

The hostel authorities also do not fill up seats citing water shortage and “poor state of electric fuses” leaving more than 50 double-seated rooms in RGHG empty.

Nisha Singh added both the major political factions in DU: NSUI and ABVP do not take heed of the problems and protests. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS, has been in power for the last four years in DU, but their approach to the problem of accommodation is to collaborate with private paying guests to provide a “fair deal” to the students.

Residents of Undergraduate hostel for girls, in absence of any student union or welfare association, have to rely on the hostel administration, which they term as flaky. Apart from the water shortage, the residents here complain about the deteriorating quality of food, exorbitant fee hikes and an iron-fisted administration. A student living in UGHG writes: “In the absence of any student body to hold the administration accountable, it is difficult to build a consensus to protest against the most basic problems.”

When asked about the DUSU elections and campaigning, the students responded that before elections candidates from different political factions would visit the premises, but they are forgotten after the voting is over. It is to be noted that candidates across parties aim to secure the votes of these students by supplying chocolates, alcohol, etc. owing to the huge number of occupancy.

Nisha Singh adds, “The student’s welfare association, as opposed to the union, is not an independent body and thereby, it is always subordinate to the administration. Apart from water shortage, we do have a host of issues like absence of an affordable canteen, recharge point, medical facilities, etc. which do not get any attention.”

Candidates from both NSUI and ABVP have been a part of the DU student union and have fought elections on affordable and secure accommodation for students. However, the internal problems of the hostels remain unknown and are not discussed despite the high occupancy in the hostels.