As students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), one of India’s premier educational institutions, continue to stage demonstrations against a soon-to-be-imposed fee hike, Bollywood actors like Swara Bhasker and veteran actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha have sent them messages of support on social media.
The move comes two days after a protest march to Parliament organised by the JNU Students' Union that reportedly resulted in many students getting injured.
In a Twitter thread, actress Swara Bhasker says that “JNU changes lives because education changes lives.”
#JNU students protesting #JNUFeeHike are protesting on behalf of all the children in india born into and who will be born into lower income & lower middle income groups. Why should quality higher education be a commodity only the privileged can access? Pic: Noushad & Sarika. pic.twitter.com/qOxS6QAsSa
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) November 19, 2019
This is JNU. This is what public funding in higher education can achieve- it can break the inter generational vicious cycle of poverty! JNU changes lives because education changes lives.. #StandWithJNU #JNU #JNUFeeHike https://t.co/35V9t4XcaP
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) November 19, 2019
In another tweet, she posted an image of a student engrossed in her studies during the protest.
To all those who claim that #JNU students don’t study.. here is a detainee JNU student at #KalkajiPoliceStation in #Delhi reading the @epw_in #SpiritOfJNU #StandWithJNU pic.twitter.com/PaPCXKhs3j
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) November 19, 2019
Dear Sir! Our students, especially from the great institution #JNU & #DelhiUniversity are suffering. Instead, of giving a healing touch, rolling back the enhanced fees & listening to their justified demands, they are being brutally lathi charged / traumatised.
— Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) November 20, 2019
Actress Pooja Bedi, daughter of veteran actor Kabir Bedi, finds the entire episode “brutal”.
Education is not a privilege. It is as much of a right as breathing clean air. Very disturbing to see the police behave in this brutal manner with students from #JNU. Do they forget that their primary duty is to serve and protect? Why resort to violence? Against students? Tragic.
— Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) November 19, 2019
