JNU protest: Who is John Brittas? Why are university students on hunger strike for 17 days? What are their demands?

John Brittas is a Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader from Kerala and a Rajya Sabha MP. He is also a former JNU student and senior journalist. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 2021 and has served on several parliamentary committees.

Brittas asked President Draupadi Murmu to act because JNU students had been on an indefinite hunger strike since October 3. He said the participants’ health was deteriorating and that the strike had entered its 17th day. He shared a letter urging immediate action.

His requests include revoking the rustication of elected JNUSU representatives, withdrawing objectionable provisions of the Chief Proctor Office Manual and resolving other student grievances. He noted that the President is JNU’s Visitor under Section 8 of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Act, 1966.

JNUSU wants the university to revoke rustication orders against elected union representatives and withdraw objectionable provisions of the Chief Proctor Office Manual. The union says the manual affects students’ rights and participation in campus affairs.

The protest also concerns unresolved campus problems. Students are demanding immediate attention to crumbling infrastructure, reinstatement of the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment and reconstitution of the Equal Opportunity Cell under the proposed Rohith Act. They also want an independent inquiry into an alleged recruitment scam through the Internal Quality Assurance Cell.

The hunger strike will continue until the rustication orders and CPO Manual concerns are addressed, according to PTI. The dispute therefore extends beyond disciplinary action. It includes representation, safety, equal opportunity, admissions and basic campus facilities.

The indefinite hunger strike began on October 3. On Monday, October 19, John Brittas said it had entered its 17th day. He warned that the health of the participants was deteriorating and called for urgent intervention.

JNUSU said its office-bearers and 14 other students were observing the strike. The union specifically named president Aditi Mishra, vice president Gopika and general secretary Sunil among the participants. The article does not provide a separate total for all office-bearers.

The duration matters because hunger strikes can create serious health risks, especially when the dispute continues without resolution. JNUSU said the action would continue until demands concerning the CPO Manual and rustication orders were addressed. The prolonged protest has also intensified concerns about unresolved campus issues.

In this dispute, rustication means disciplinary exclusion from the university. The article says elected JNUSU representatives, including a former union president, have remained under rustication for several months after protests earlier in the year.

The key mechanism is representation. Elected office-bearers are meant to help students collectively articulate concerns through the union. Brittas said their exclusion directly affects the union’s functioning and weakens the channel through which students raise grievances.

JNUSU has opposed the disciplinary action and demanded reinstatement. Brittas also asked President Murmu to revoke the rustication orders under Section 8 of the JNU Act, which identifies democratic life among the university’s foundational principles. If the orders continue, students may remain represented by a union whose elected leadership cannot fully operate on campus.

The Chief Proctor Office Manual, or CPO Manual, is a set of university rules covering disciplinary measures. The article says it provides for fines and other action for several forms of protest and assembly. JNUSU has called for its review and revocation of objectionable provisions.

Students’ concern is how the rules operate. They argue that broad penalties can affect participation in campus affairs and discourage students from raising legitimate grievances. Brittas warned that disproportionate disciplinary measures may make students fear punitive action.

The manual is one of the central issues behind the hunger strike. JNUSU says the protest will continue until its concerns about the manual and rustication orders are addressed. Brittas linked the dispute to JNU’s tradition of debate, discussion and democratic activity, and asked the President to intervene as the university’s Visitor.

The immediate risk is to the hunger strikers’ health. Brittas said their condition was deteriorating, and the strike had already lasted 17 days on October 19. JNUSU has said the hunger strike will continue until its main demands are addressed.

The representation risk is separate but connected. Rusticated elected representatives cannot fully participate in university life or directly perform their union roles. Brittas said this weakens the mechanism through which students collectively articulate grievances. The dispute could therefore leave students with reduced access to elected representation.

The article does not state how the university will respond next. It records demands for revocation of rustication orders, withdrawal of disputed manual provisions and action on campus grievances. President Murmu’s intervention, requested under Section 8 of the JNU Act, is one proposed route toward resolution.

Student unions and campus committees create formal ways for students to participate and seek help. The article links JNU’s democratic traditions with debate, dissent and collective representation. It also identifies unresolved concerns about gender justice, equal opportunity, admissions and basic facilities.

Each body serves a different function. The students’ union represents collective grievances. The Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment addresses gender-related concerns. The Equal Opportunity Cell supports equal access and participation. JNUSU is seeking reinstatement or reconstitution of these bodies, alongside other reforms.

Their importance becomes sharper during the current dispute. Brittas warned that excluding elected representatives weakens student representation, while punitive rules may discourage complaints. The union’s demands seek functioning channels for participation and accountability. The article presents resolution of these issues as urgent because the protest has continued while hunger-strikers’ health is at risk.