Nearly 50 students of Delhi University’s Hansraj College staged a protest on campus Monday, alleging that sporting events and facilities were being suspended or repurposed for the principal’s son’s wedding, scheduled for February 10 on the college grounds. The students also alleged that the boys’ hostel, vacated last year citing “infrastructural concerns”, was being used as a guesthouse for the wedding.
The protest erupted after the abrupt cancellation of the annual “Khelo Hansraj” sports tournament, which was originally scheduled to run from February 4 to 27. Students alleged they found the sports ground cordoned off and under decoration for a private function.
“We are usually asked to leave the campus by 5pm, but during the Khelo Hansraj game we are given extra hours to use the ground for practice sessions. The games for now have been cancelled and the ground has been deemed out of bounds for students,” said 21-year-old BA Hons student. “We weren’t even informed of the reason for cancelling the games. We discovered the preparation was for the principal’s son’s marriage.”
A wedding invitation shared with HT by a college professor, who asked not to be identified, lists the venue as “Gate No 5, Hansraj College.”
Hansraj College principal Rama Sharma did not respond to HT’s queries on whether prior permission had been sought to use the college grounds and the boys’ hostel for personal purposes.
Another student present at the protest said access to parts of the campus had also been restricted. They alleged that the vacated boys’ hostel, declared unfit for habitation last year due to poor infrastructure, was being decorated and used as a guesthouse for wedding attendees. “Since [the hostel was vacated], we have never seen any construction. But today we saw it being decorated,” a second-year student stated.
“We usually enter the college and hostel through Gate No 5. But because decorations are going on there, students are being told to take alternative routes. Since the main gate is under construction, we are being forced to walk through the teachers’ flats, which is a much longer route,” said a third-year History (Hons) student.
Delhi University Students’ Union president Aryan Maan criticised the administration’s lack of transparency. “Students have been denied permission for events on the same ground. Its use for a private wedding has caused anger,” he said.
By evening, the number of protesters had reduced, though a few students continued their sit-in. The remaining protesters were asked by the administration to submit a written list of demands, including assurances that no disciplinary action would be taken against those who participated in the protest.
In a letter issued later, a copy of which has been seen by HT, the college administration said it accepted all demands raised by the students, including the timely and transparent utilisation of the sanctioned fest budget by February 14. The letter also stated that no punitive action would be taken against protesting students and that no guests would be accommodated in the hostel premises.