After a “satisfactory” meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday, the protesting students of College of Agriculture, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), have announced that they will defer their strike till February 23. The CM has promised to issue the official notification on the exact number of posts vacant in the agriculture department by that day.

On Monday, Ludhiana West MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Harish Rai Dhanda, PAU Vice-Chancellor Dr Manjit Singh Kang and Dean Students’ Welfare Dr Pushpinder Singh Aulakh addressed the students at Gate No. 2 of the university and requested them to call off their hunger strike.

The students who have been on a chain hunger strike for more than a fortnight now said it was a long battle that received support from various sections of society. “Most importantly, the DSW cancelled a personal engagement to accompany the students to the CM’s residence. The role played by the DSW was highly beneficial and supportive in getting the demands of students addressed,” said one of them.


The students’ representative addressed all the protesters, conveying their gratitude for the support received over the last two months. Left leaders D P Maur and Dr Arun Mitra congratulated the students. It was decided that the attendance of students for the month of January and February would be taken care of.