Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday, 24 August wrote a formal letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging him to personally intervene in the ongoing hunger strike by Adivasi students in the state. The students have been on strike for over ten days, protesting what Gandhi described as discriminatory hostel rules, unsafe living conditions, and violations of their basic dignity.

What the Students Are Demanding

Gandhi, in his letter and in a post on X, cited the Echo of Students event held in Pune, where female students detailed the conditions they face in state-run tribal hostels. Among the grievances flagged: an age limit of 30 years for hostel residency, which effectively bars tribal students engaged in competitive exam preparation or pursuing higher education from accessing accommodation.

Students also reported a near-total absence of basic amenities — adequate food, sanitation, and medical care. Gandhi pointed to documented instances of student injuries and deaths, including fatalities caused by snake bites, as evidence of unsafe hostel environments.

Pregnancy Tests and Dignity Concerns

A particularly sharp condemnation in Gandhi's letter was directed at a reported policy requiring female students returning from extended absences to undergo mandatory pregnancy and medical tests to establish their 'fitness' before re-entry. Gandhi called this requirement 'an attack on their dignity and humanity,' arguing it has no place in a democratic state.

'These students, coming from remote villages and towns, are not asking for charity; they are demanding their rightful entitlements. It is expected that you will meet them personally and immediately resolve their issues,' Gandhi wrote in his letter to Fadnavis.

Gandhi's Demands from CM Fadnavis

Gandhi urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to personally meet with student representatives at the earliest and take immediate steps to address their grievances. A formal memorandum detailing the students' demands was reportedly attached to the letter.

This comes amid longstanding concerns over the welfare of tribal students in Maharashtra's government-run hostel system, with activists and opposition leaders periodically raising alarms over conditions that they say fall well below constitutional guarantees for Scheduled Tribe communities.

Broader Context

The hunger strike, now past the ten-day mark, has drawn attention to systemic gaps in Maharashtra's tribal welfare infrastructure. Notably, this is not the first time student protests have surfaced over hostel conditions in the state, but the scale of the current agitation and the specific allegations — including the mandatory pregnancy test policy — have given the issue fresh urgency. The Maharashtra government had not issued a formal public response to Gandhi's letter as of the time of reporting.