New Delhi- Over 500 contract workers of Jawaharlal Nehru University, those who clean the hostels, cook in the messes, guard the campus and maintain its gardens, have written a deeply emotional open letter to the students. In their appeal, the workers have poured out years of pain, overwork, humiliation and broken festival promises, while urging students to stand with them in their ongoing strike.

Addressing the students as “Bhaiya/Didi”, the workers begin: “We are the contract workers of JNU. We believe that you consider us part of the JNU family, even if the contractors and the JNU Administration do not. We meet you daily. We take care of all the basic essentials and services that keep your life going smoothly in the university. We are the ones who clean your washrooms, who cook food for you, and who are responsible for your security.”

They acknowledge that students sometimes complain about the quality of their work, but explain the real reason: “We want it to be known that we are overburdened with work; one person has to do the work of 10 people, and the JNU administration does not intend to increase the workforce anytime soon. There is a severe shortage of workers in JNU, and we are not able to deliver our 100% because of this shortage, which in turn affects the cleanliness and food quality that you students have to unfortunately compromise with. But trust us, the reason for your troubles is not because we aren’t working hard enough.”

The letter then turns to their own suffering. The workers write that despite doing the same work as permanent staff, they receive only one-fourth of the wages. For years, every festival season, when they go to the administration asking for the bonus that is their right, they are sent back with false assurances.

The most painful lines come when they speak about their children:

“Each Diwali, we tremble with grief when we see the emptiness in our children’s eyes, and our hearts cry for our families and loved ones suffering alongside us. Yet we smile and go on, despite the unfulfilled joy on our children’s faces and the uncertainty of the situation changing in our favour.

Why are we kept deprived of joy, happiness, and hope? Why are we blamed for issues that we don’t create, and ones that actively harm us too?”

The workers say they have now decided to fight so that the next generation learns they are not cowards. Their demands are clear — bonus, paid leave, and an increase in the workforce. They are currently on strike for these rights.

In the closing part of the letter, they make a direct emotional appeal for solidarity:

“We have always treated you as our extended family, and we hope you consider us the same and stand with us in this extremely difficult time. We know it is not easy to bear with hostels and schools that have not been cleaned, and a mess that doesn’t have food. But we will continue standing at the gate of the administration to demand what is our right, and fight the way we have learnt from you all, to keep JNU alive.

We hope the students will stand with us and support us in our struggle, one more time, just like you all have taught us to. If you all are JNU, we too can proudly say that WE ARE JNU TOO.”

JNUSU President Aditi Mishra has shared the full appeal and urged students to stand firmly with the workers, stating that the university administration continues to exploit them despite intervention by the Labour Commission.

The workers remain on strike at Sabarmati T-Point, insisting they will not return until their legitimate demands are met.