Students peeved as DU college builds cow shelter at site meant for women’s hostel

Students of Delhi University’s Hansraj College have protested against the construction of an alleged ‘gaushala’ (cow shelter) under the guise of a ‘cow protection and research centre’ at a site which they say was reserved for a women’s hostel.

Responding to the allegations, college principal Rama Sharma has said that the centre has a single cow, meant to help students carry out research work, and that it was not a ‘gaushala’ (cow shelter).

As far as the proposed women’s hostel is concerned, she said architects are on the lookout for a suitable place as the site in question is not suitable for the project.

“The architects had seen the land and told us it is a setback area and a hostel cannot be constructed on it. The women’s hostel is my dream project and the architects will analyse a suitable place for it,” she said.

The Students Federation of India (SFI) unit of Hansraj College alleged that a ‘gaushala’, dubbed as a Swami Dayanand Cow-Protection and Research Centre has been constructed at the site reserved for a women’s hostel.

“As colleges shut down because of the pandemic, our college administration demanded full and bulk fees payment even though most of our families were suffering economic hardships. Now imagine our surprise when we learn that while the campus has been shut, the college has finished the construction of a full-fledged gaushala without any warning or discussion with the student community,” they alleged.

The students said they will initiate a vigorous campaign against this decision and demanded that the gaushala be pulled down and the construction of the long-awaited women’s hostel be started.

(With inputs from agencies)