The NEHU Student’s Union (NEHUSU) entered the 10th day of their hunger strike for a list of demands, one of which is the removal of the NEHU Vice Chancellor, PS Shukla for a range of reasons, foremost among which is his nonchalance about student grievances. The NEHU Teachers Association (NEHUTA) is supporting the students’ hunger strike and are present keeping a keen eye on the students and their deteriorating health conditions. For those at the site of the hunger strike it is evident that the students are on a downhill path as far as their health condition is concerned, more so those with underlying ailments such as gastritis. The problem with a hunger strike is that it takes a toll on those who undertake the ethical path of fasting or Satyagraha as exemplified by Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom movement. The British found it hard to deal with this non-violent mode of protest.
A hunger strike is generally used by those who have no other form of protest available — usually prisoners. Such actions are often aimed at protesting prison conditions, achieving a policy change, or bringing attention to a certain case or cause. But health practitioners worry that long-term refusal of food can affect most organs and systems in the human body. This leads to muscle weakness, vulnerability to infections, psychological problems, and, eventually, organ failure. While people can survive up to several weeks without food under certain conditions, physical and mental impairment can begin within two to three days. Due to a lack of carbohydrates, the body switches to its fat and protein reserves and starts using them as its main source of energy.
The only thing that the hunger strikers are ingesting is water and glucose but this is hardly enough to sustain them. Besides there is the winter cold to reckon with since the strike is in an open space. The student protestors are of the view that the Central Government is testing their resilience to the limits and that the appointment of a 2-member enquiry committee comprising rank outsiders, no matter their qualification is fraught. They feel that a senior, unblemished professor from NEHU should also be part of the enquiry committee because it is important to understand the nuances of the NEHU imbroglio to arrive at a meaningful outcome. Students feel that the enquiry committee could be just a tactic by the central government to buy time, with the assumption that students would call off their strike once the Committee begins its work. But that too seems like a failed strategy. What is imperative, however, is to break the deadlock and get students back to the classroom. This will require wisdom and sagacity from the part of the senior professors of NEHU to guide the students on the best path forward which will be a win-win situation for all. The health of students should be a matter of concern for all.
