BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, April 14, 2025 –
The Kuki Students’ Organisation, Delhi & NCR (KSOD&NCR) has expressed solidarity with Northeast students protesting the hostel allotment process for Barak Hostel at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
The statement condemns the JNU administration and the Dean of Students for deviating from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that promised 75% of Barak Hostel’s allotments to students from the Northeast region.
Barak Hostel at JNU has long been a symbol of inclusion for students from India’s Northeast, a region often underrepresented and marginalized in mainland India. The hostel was conceptualized as a space to ensure equity, safety, and a sense of belonging for Northeast students, many of whom face unique cultural and social challenges while studying far from home. In 2017, an MoU was signed between JNU and the North Eastern Council (NEC), under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), stipulating that 75% of the hostel’s rooms would be reserved for Northeast students. This agreement was seen as a progressive step to address systemic exclusion and foster inclusivity on campus.
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However, tensions have been brewing over the past few years as Northeast students have repeatedly raised concerns about the administration’s failure to honor this commitment. The recent hostel allotment process has sparked fresh outrage, with students alleging that the administration has not only disregarded the MoU but also undermined the lived experiences of Northeast students by treating the hostel as a “privilege” rather than a necessity.
In its statement, the
STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY
13th April 2025
Barak Hostel Is a Commitment, Not a Concession: Respect the MoUThe @KSODelhi stands in full solidarity with the students of the #Northeast region currently protesting the unjust hostel allotment process concerning #Barak Hostel at #JNU. pic.twitter.com/fWI7StJoqC
— Ravinder Kapur. (@RavinderKapur2) April 13, 2025
KSOD&NCR described the deviation from the MoU as a “disturbing betrayal of commitments made to marginalized communities and a deeper pattern of systemic exclusion.” The organization emphasized that Barak Hostel was never meant to be a privilege but a space of “protection and affirmation” for Northeast students who face unique vulnerabilities in mainstream academic institutions. The statement further criticized the JNU administration for attempting to “erase the lived experiences of Northeast students on campus” through its actions.
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The Kuki students’ body called the administration’s failure “symbolic of erasure” and urged JNU to honor the MoU, respect the voices of Northeast students, and take meaningful steps toward equity and inclusion. “This protest is not just about a hostel. It is a call for justice, recognition, and accountability,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, Jawaharlal Nehru University has clarified that no hostel is reserved based on region or culture but priority is being given to students from the northeast in line with official directives. The university said the hostel allotment process began on April 8 in a phased manner and ‘priority have been given to the northeast students in Barak Hostel’.
“This is brought to the kind notice and information to all the concerned stakeholders…The Barak hostel was opened officially for allotment of JNU students on April 7,” the university said in a circular.
