Uttarakhand: Ayurvedic students to celebrate Diwali at Dharna Sthal

DEHRADUN: Protesting students of various Ayurvedic medical colleges have decided to mark Diwali by sitting at Dharna Sthal. These students, four among whom are on a hunger strike, are protesting against private Ayurvedic colleges who have hiked fees for Ayurvedic courses – reportedly 300 to 400 times in the past three years.
Around 50 Ayurvedic students lit earthen lamps at Dharna Sthal and raised anti-government slogans.With banner and placards, the students also marched around the protest site seeking public and government intervention in the matter.
Lalit Tiwari, representing the union of protesting Ayurvedic students, said that the protesters will celebrate Diwali at Dharna Sthal. Parents of the students will join them.
“This is shame on part of Uttarakhand government that we are sitting on a dharna for past few days. The CM can send police to beat us up but cannot write a letter to the private colleges to revoke the fees. We want to send our message loud and clear that we won’t withdraw the protest until action is taken against private Ayurvedic colleges,” said Tiwari.
Ayurvedic students are protesting for a year against the fee hike done by the 13 Ayurvedic colleges of Uttarakhand. While even HC has ordered the colleges to revoke the hiked fee and allow the students to sit in the exam, the college administrations are not ready to follow the same.