CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas has sought the intervention of President Droupadi Murmu and Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi over the indefinite hunger strike by students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which entered its 17th day on Monday, October 19, 2026, amid concerns over the deteriorating health of the participants.
In letters written on Sunday, October 18, Brittas sought the revocation of the rustication orders against elected representatives of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), the withdrawal of alleged objectionable provisions of the Chief Proctor's Office (CPO) Manual, and the expeditious resolution of students' grievances.
In a post on X on Monday, Brittas said, "The indefinite hunger strike by JNU students (is) now in its 17th day, and the deteriorating health of the participants demand urgent intervention."
"As a former student of JNU, I am deeply concerned by the present situation. A university that nurtured debate and dissent must not punish them. Its democratic traditions must be preserved, and its students' voices deserve to be heard, not silenced," he wrote.
The hunger strike, which began on October 3, was launched after what the students describe as the university administration's failure to address the student community's "genuine and longstanding concerns". The agitation has now stretched into its third week, raising alarm among student groups, faculty and political leaders over the health of those on fast.
One of the central demands is the revocation of rustication orders issued against elected JNUSU representatives, including the former JNUSU president. Brittas said the exclusion of elected representatives from the university had raised serious concerns about the functioning of the students' union itself.
"The exclusion of elected representatives from the University directly affects the functioning of the students' union and weakens the mechanism through which students collectively articulate their grievances," Brittas wrote in his letter.
The students are also demanding the withdrawal of provisions in the Chief Proctor's Office Manual that they describe as objectionable. The CPO Manual provides for fines and disciplinary measures for several forms of protest and assembly, and student groups have argued that its continued enforcement curtails the campus's long tradition of open debate and dissent.
The demand for its withdrawal has been a recurring theme in recent campus protests, with student bodies contending that the manual's provisions on gatherings, demonstrations and wall posters go beyond reasonable regulation of campus order.
Brittas, a former student of the university, framed the issue as a matter of protecting the institution's democratic character. JNU has historically been known as a campus where political debate thrives, and any move perceived as punitive action against elected student leaders tends to draw national attention.
The hunger strike is among the longest student protests in recent memory at the university. Indefinite fasts are a form of protest with serious health implications, and the crossing of the two-week mark has intensified calls for the administration to engage with the agitators and find a resolution.
So far, the university administration has not publicly indicated a breakthrough in talks with the protesting students. The students maintain that their demands, revocation of rustication, changes to the proctorial manual and redressal of grievances, must be addressed before the fast can end.
The intervention by a Rajya Sabha MP adds a parliamentary dimension to the standoff. By writing to the President, who is the Visitor of central universities, Brittas has escalated the matter to the highest constitutional level. The Visitor's office has historically played a role in resolving deadlocks at central universities, though any intervention would follow established procedures.
The CPI(M) parliamentarian's personal connection to the university, as a former student, lends weight to his appeal, framing it as a call to preserve the very traditions that shaped him.
Education Minister Pralhad Joshi's office has also been approached, placing the ball in the court of the Union government to facilitate a dialogue between the university administration and the students.
The protest comes amid a broader spell of campus unrest. In a related development reported on Sunday, the president of the All India Students' Association moved the Delhi High Court against a Rs 10,000 peace bond notice, reflecting the wider tensions between student bodies and university authorities in the capital. The JNU hunger strike, however, remains the most severe of these confrontations given the health risks to those fasting.
Student organisations across the country have expressed solidarity with the JNU protesters, and the issue has been raised in political circles as well. The CPI(M) has consistently backed the students' demands, and Brittas's letters are the latest in a series of political interventions, with opposition leaders urging the university to prioritise the students' health.
Health experts note that hunger strikes extending beyond two weeks can lead to severe complications, including organ damage, which is why medical supervision of the fasting students has become a parallel concern. The university and the authorities are expected to keep a close watch on the health of the participants even as efforts continue to resolve the underlying dispute.
For the students, the demands are about more than individual cases. They argue that the rustication of elected representatives strikes at the heart of student representation, and that the proctorial manual's provisions on protest and assembly reshape the character of campus life. For the administration, the challenge is to balance discipline with the university's celebrated culture of dissent.
As the fast enters its 18th day on Tuesday, all eyes will be on whether the appeals to the President and the Education Minister produce a response that can break the deadlock. The students have shown no sign of calling off the protest without concrete assurances, and the administration has yet to signal concessions.
The coming days could prove decisive. If dialogue begins in earnest, the university may yet avoid a tragedy and restore trust on campus. If the standoff persists, the health of the fasting students will remain a matter of grave and growing concern, with the institution's reputation for dialogue and dissent hanging in the balance.
(Reporting based on The Hindu and ThePrint.)