DU: Students protest construction of cow centre at Delhi University's Hansraj college

NEW DELHI: Students held a protest outside Delhi University's Hansraj College against the cow protection and research centre established inside the campus on the land designated for a girls hostel, and demanded the construction of a hostel. Student organisations like the Students Federation of India (SFI) and Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) organised the protest in front of Hansraj College, University of Delhi.

Hundreds of students gathered outside the college for the protest at 11:30 am along with student representatives from other universities to speak against the decisions of the administration. "The gaushala construction took place in an arbitrary manner during the absence of students on the campus. It is evident that the administration expected resistance from the student community and did it in a covert manner," said a statement from SFI.

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"There are a few women hostels in DU who take exorbitant fees and require it to be paid upfront which is extremely exclusionary and it needs to be changed. In this situation construction of gaushala is shameful", said Aditi Tyagi, Unit President of SFI Hindu College.

The Students' Federation of India (SFI) unit of Hansraj College has been alleging that a ''gaushala'' -- Swami Dayanand Cow-Protection and Research Centre -- has been constructed at the site reserved for a women's hostel. College principal Rama Sharma has said that they have only kept a single cow at the centre and it is for research purposes. She has also said that the area where the cow research centre has been built is a setback area and no hostel can be constructed there. The protest was called by SFI. Other student bodies also supported their protest. DU: Students of Hansraj College organised a protest against the construction of gaushala on the campus (image source: SFI) "The decision is a blatant attempt at demolishing the secular ethos of the university and is completely opposed to scientific temperament. The so-called research centre, moreover, comes at the site marked for a women’s hostel. As such, it is not just against the secular ethos of the university, but blatantly anti-women," said a statement from KYS.

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The students held the protest outside the college and carried placards -- ''Save Public Education'', ''Prioritise Student Welfare'', ''No to Saffronisation of Education'' and ''We reclaim out campus''. Raising slogans, the students said the construction of a 'gaushala' will not be tolerated and demanded the construction of a women's hostel there.

The Swami Dayanand Cow-Protection and Research Centre was established on the Hansraj College campus for research on cow products. According to reports, Vikas Gupta, Delhi University registrar, said that he was not aware of the cow centre project.

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The SFI, in a statement, condemned the construction of the cow centre at the site reserved for a women’s hostel. “While the campus has been shut, the college has finished the construction of a full-fledged GauShala without any warning or discussion with the student community. The need for one is something none of us is able to even begin to fathom," students of Hansraj College alleged.

(With inputs from PTI)

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