Townhall Times The SFI AUD Kashmere Gate (SFI AUD KG) unit strongly condemns the continued apathy and escalating intimidation by the AUD administration in response to the ongoing indefinite sit-in and hunger strike. Students have been demanding the revocation of five arbitrary suspensions since 21 days.
On the night of April 30th, the administration’s intimidation tactics reached a disturbing new low. Around midnight, security guards captured a poisonous snake inside the campus and shockingly brought it to the protest site. Instead of ensuring student safety, a guard attempted to use the snake to threaten students and coerce them into leaving. The guards were quoted on camera saying “Inhe bhagane ka yahi tareeka hai” (This is how we get them to move) and “Inke bistar me daal do” (Leave it in their beds)
One female student was left visibly shaken and unable to sleep the entire night. There were no women guards on site. This alarming incident is part of a broader pattern of psychological and physical pressure, from barricading the campus to repeated visits by officials pressuring students to vacate the site with vague, unfulfilled promises.
As Delhi battles an intense heatwave, the health risks facing students have become severe. On 2nd May, the IMD issues a red alert due to heavy rains and thunderstorms due to which several heatstroke cases have been reported in the city, and just yesterday, four people reportedly died due to the extreme weather.
Despite this, students remain committed to their peaceful protest, enduring collapsing health and unsafe conditions in the fight to defend campus democracy. Their safety is in jeopardy—not because of their actions, but due to an administration that has abdicated its basic responsibilities.
Vice-Chancellor Anu Singh Lather is yet to meet the protesting students even once in these 26 days. There has been no official communication regarding a suspension review meeting, no indication of when the suspended students will be heard, and no acknowledgment of their academic losses as end-semester exams approach. The administration’s response has been marked by delay, opacity, and coercion—rather than any willingness to resolve the crisis.
In contrast, the protest site has become a beacon of democratic resistance, alive with lectures, mural painting, reading sessions, film screenings, and cultural programs. The students’ union has stood firmly with the protestors, offering unwavering solidarity amid growing repression. This struggle goes beyond five suspensions—it is a battle to reclaim student rights and preserve democratic spaces under siege.
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