Hostel mess in UoH resumes after non-teaching staff end stir

Hyderabad: Hostel messes in the University of Hyderabad resumed serving food on Thursday after non-teaching employees were assured by the university administration that if there were any attacks on them by students in future, strict action would be taken against those involved.

The hostel messes in the varsity had been shut down on Tuesday night after non-teaching staff members had gone on strike because some of them had been manhandled by students during the vandalism at the vice-chancellor's lodge in the morning. The closure of messes had forced students to cook for themselves on Wednesday in the mess or go outside the university and buy food. A few organizations, which wanted to deliver food for free to the students, were not allowed to enter the campus. One student, Uday Bhanu, was injured on Wednesday as he was allegedly beaten up by the police when he tried to cook food on the road.

Negotiations on Wednesday night between the Joint Action Committee of non-teaching staff members and the Chief Warden, deputy chief warden, wardens and dean of students’ welfare ended the deadlock.  Internet connectivity was also restored in the university. The employees had also demanded that an apology should be tendered by the students for manhandling the non-teaching staff members, but keeping in mind that many of the students involved in Tuesday’s violence had been arrested, they took back the demand.

The committee also resolved to evolve a mechanism by framing the necessary rules by the administration in consultation with wardens and also by involving the non-teaching staff to curtail indiscipline and misbehavior with staff by the students.

It was also decided that monthly meetings should be conducted by the chief warden / wardens to redress grievances of non-teaching staff working in the hostels.