Northeast students in JNU protest over Barak hostel allotment, demand 75% reservation

Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), led by the North East Students’ Forum (NESF), have been protesting for several days, demanding that 75 per cent of the seats in the newly inaugurated Barak Hostel be reserved for students from the Northeastern states.
 

Barak Hostel, a five-storey building with 228 rooms and a capacity to accommodate 446 students, has separate wings for male and female students and is managed by two appointed wardens. Construction of the hostel began in 2017 and was funded by the North Eastern Council (NEC).
 

According to NESF, the demand for reservation is based on an understanding reached between JNU, NEC, and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). The students cite a letter dated August 2024 from the Ministry of DoNER to the JNU Vice-Chancellor recommending that 75 per cent of Barak Hostel's seats be reserved for students from the Northeast. They argue that the university had earlier promised such a reservation policy during consultations with NEC and DoNER when the hostel was being conceptualized.
 

Speaking to India Today NE, a JNU student said, “We held a protest on April 7, when the Vice-Chancellor and other university officials inaugurated the hostel. The administration did not consult any Northeastern students or NEC during the process."
 

NESF claims that Barak Hostel was envisioned as a culturally sensitive and secure space for students from the eight northeastern states. However, they allege that the university has reneged on its commitments. The first allotment list, released by the university on April 8, allocated only five out of 88 seats to students from the Northeast—sparking widespread outrage among the forum members.
 

Citing the importance of such a space, a student highlighted the tragic death of Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh who was murdered in Delhi in 2014. “It wasn’t just Nido Tania—hundreds of Northeastern students have faced similar discrimination. Barak Hostel was supposed to be a secure place for us,” the student said.
 

Following Nido Tania’s death, the Bezbaruah Committee was constituted, which recommended the creation of safe and inclusive spaces for northeastern students in major cities. NESF argues that Barak Hostel was meant to be a step in that direction.
 

However, some voices on campus have raised concerns that implementing a 75 per cent reservation might lead to segregation among students. Responding to such concerns, a NESF member said, “When Barak Hostel was originally conceptualized as a separate space for Northeastern students, why was the issue of segregation not raised then? The real segregation is when Northeastern students are silenced, made invisible, and left to struggle on their own.”
 

“Barak is not about segregation,” the NESF emphasised. “It’s about solidarity. It’s about ensuring a secure, inclusive space that acknowledges the unique challenges faced by students from the Northeast.”
 

As protests continue, the students are urging the administration to honor its commitment and officially reserve 75 per cent of Barak Hostel seats for Northeastern students as originally promised.