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Thousands of students from the northeastern states of India flock to the Delhi National Capital Region in pursuit of a higher education. They are often denied housing for various reasons and face harrowing challenges to merely find an accommodation. This creates a need for hostels in university campuses. 

In an article published on April 18, Apoorvanand wrote that he “felt inclined to agree with the vice-chancellor of JNU” and urged the northeastern student community – or what he referred to as the “Northeastern Students Council” – to “reconsider their demands” for 75% reservation in the newly constructed Barak Hostel.

It is important to first clarify a factual error: there is no organisation on campus called the “Northeastern Students Council.” The only representative body that has been engaging with the administration on this issue is the North East Students’ Forum (NESF). Misnaming or misrepresenting the student body not only weakens the credibility of the argument but also reflects a lack of familiarity with the issue and those directly involved. This article is a response to it. 

At first glance, his arguments may appear reasonable, but a closer examination reveals deep flaws in his overall approach to the issue.

The issue at hand is not merely about securing a 75% reservation; it is fundamentally about being heard, respected, and taken seriously. 75% is not an arbitrary figure. It is a reaffirmation of an earlier understanding between the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), represented by the Northeastern Council (NEC). 

Leading up to the inauguration of the Barak Hostel, students from the Northeast, under the banner of the North East Students’ Forum (NESF) made several good-faith efforts to engage with the university administration, seeking clarity and assurances. These efforts were met with silence and condescension. The demand for 75% is not rooted in parochialism or regional exclusivity – it is rooted in a history of marginalisation and the promise of redress. Had the administration chosen to engage sincerely with the student community, the trajectory of this issue might have been very different. What we see today is not a failure of policy alone, but a failure of communication and care.

The Barak Hostel was envisioned as a dedicated, secure space for students from the northeastern states of India. It was a response to the structural and institutional discrimination and everyday racial injustices faced by these students on university campuses. In the aftermath of the racially motivated

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