Bareilly hostel students go on dharna, get TV to watch World Cup

BAREILLY: A group of students at the postgraduate hostel of MJP Rohilkhand University went on a hunger strike on Friday night to fulfill their demand of having a TV set installed in their common room since they wanted to watch the World Cup. A few students also locked the main gate of the hostel preventing the hostel authorities to enter until their demand was met.University officials, anxious to prevent a major law and order situation, eventually relented to the students’ demand and had the television set installed on Saturday just in time for the much awaited Indo-Pak encounter slotted for today.
According to the students, they had been demanding a television set in their hostel for a long time but university officials were moving very slowly in the matter. “We reminded them a number of times but nothing happened. Now, with the World Cup kicking off, students lost their patience and decided that drastic action was needed,” said a hosteler.
Meanwhile VP Singh, the pro vice-chancellor of the university, told TOI that the students’ action was “a sad one.” “Instead of concentrating on their upcoming examinations, they made an issue about a television set which was already in the pipeline,” he said.
Ajay Singh, a hosteler, though, defended the students’ actions. “It’s not as if we are not concerned about our exams. But watching a match of the World Cup – which comes only once in four years – helps ease pressure off our heads which is necessary to keep us refreshed.”