BITS Fee Hike Protest: Day 4
Written on May 9th, 2018 by {"login"=>"jcbitshyd", "email"=>"journal@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in", "display_name"=>"Journal Club, BPHC", "first_name"=>"", "last_name"=>""}An opinion editorial by Nikita Mandapati on the ongoing protests against the fee hike.
It is 5:25 am. The sun is beginning to rise on the the 4th day of the protest here in Hyderabad Campus.
I hear birds chirping as people around me stir. Some haven't slept all night. It's a little more comfortable for us to spend the night here outside the director’s home with the alumni extending their support. But it is still rough. There are students who have spent the entire day out, even in the sun, sitting and studying because we understand the importance and value of the education that we receive here. BITS is and remains one of the premier private institutions of education in the country. Yet the magical BITS Pilani of lore seems to have been washed down by one too many issues.
It pains me to see alumni who do not understand our struggle. They still carry with them cherished memories of the university that shaped them, the professors they respect, their BITS Pilani. But it's no longer what it used to be. We wished we too will one day carry similar memories in our hearts because we too have gotten so much from the institution that is BITS Pilani. But what about the cost we have to pay for it? Education is invaluable. Yet the price we now have to pay for it is too heavy. What's worse, the money we invest doesn't materialise into what is expected of an institution of this stature. The faculty argues that students don't attend classes but never bother to inspire students in the subjects. The assignments and examinations don't push students to really understand the concepts to score well. And these are just the smallest of all the concerns. They say we take things too ‘litely’.
Yet they turn a blind eye to students spending sleepless nights on the streets during examinations and countless hours in the scorching summer heat trying to study. They do not as much as acknowledge the young student who hasn't had a morsel in days with hopes that there must be something that will move them to see how gravely the issue affects us all. They condemn us, say we are disrespectful, and don't even stop for a moment before throwing casual remarks about the quality of students or even to threaten them simply because they have the power to do so.
Don't join BITS Pilani if you can't afford it. Take a loan if you want to get here badly enough. Then look back for college memories and find a dreadful amount of student debt staring back at you. Forget about your dreams of higher education because you can't afford it anymore and you certainly can't afford another loan. The alumni say they will provide scholarships, but how many students can they support with the increasing batch strength each year?
It's past 6 am now and the sun is already shining brightly upon us. We wake up again today to empty promises and missing reassurances. Not everyone around me is here because their parents can no longer support their education without being in large debt. They are here because they believe in standing up for what is right. For the values that we BITSians hold in such high regard and for extending their support to their fellow BITSians. We've been silent for way too long. Today we rise with renewed vigour to fight for what was promised to us. Quality and affordable education. And we will do what it takes to have our demands met. As long as we're here, we will keep fighting peacefully for what is rightfully ours. Because that's what is the spirit of a true BITSIAN.
#RollBackBitsPilaniFeeHike
Originally published 9th May, 2018 from the Journal Club Facebook Page.