New Delhi: Women's safety, action against those accused in sexual assault and better hostel facilities are among the key issues for candidates of various students' organisations contesting the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union elections slated for September 12.
Seven contestants vying for the coveted presidential post have underlined the need to improve facilities for women's safety inside JNU.
This comes against the backdrop of two JNUSU office bearers stepping down from their posts following a sexual harassment complaint against them with the university's gender sensitisation wing last month.
"It was for the first time in the history of JNU that students' union members were named in a sexual harassment complaint. Although, the two stepped down from their posts, they are still a part of the student organisation," says V Lenin Kumar, leader of Democratic Students' Federation (DSF) and former JNUSU President.
DSF, which has forged an alliance with the left-wing AISF and Students for Social Justice under the umbrella 'Left Progressive Front', aims to give more autonomy to the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH).
One of the students' representatives in the GSCASH is an SFI member and the party aims to have more counsellors and push for creation of a democratic atmosphere for complainants.
The left front also wants to address the issue of lack of hostels facilities by pushing for alternative accommodation if its nominee Rahila Perween, the only female candidate in the presidential race is voted for.
Women's safety also figures in the election agenda of the All India Students Association (AISA), which had swept the union elections last year.
"We think there is a need to regularise institutional mechanisms like orientation programmes and compulsory lecture modules for sensitisation on gender issues," said a statement released by AISA.
While opposition students' parties have blamed the outgoing AISA Union for its "thorough failure" to improve hostel facilities, the party has defended itself saying that it had started construction of a new hostel.
Students' Federation of India (SFI), which is hoping to make a comeback this year, blamed the outgoing students' union for its inability to push for an alternative accommodation.
"Due to thorough failure of the union and its inability to push for an alternative accommodation, nearly 1,500 students still do not have hostel facilities," claimed Vishwanathan of SFI, JNU unit.
SFI, which considers JNUSU elections a two-cornered battle between itself and AISA, said alternative hostel facilities in form of rented spaces will be arranged for interim period along with construction of new hostels.
National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress party has also placed women's safety in university premises and hostel facilities as its top agenda.
"Women's safety is the top priority of NSUI. Firstly, we would want the GSCASH to carry out inquiry of sexual harassment complaints in a time-bound manner. Secondly, security of women is closely linked with hostel facilities.
"Most students including females, who have joined this year do not have hostel accommodation and have to live elsewhere. We will push for construction of hostels," said Vikas Yadav, President, JNU's NSUI unit.
The NSUI leader said there must be strong action against those found involved in sexual assault cases. Construction of hostels, creation of a placement cell, Wi-Fi facilities are among other agendas of the party.
