SU postgraduate president ends hunger strike after 45 days

The president of the Cambridge Students’ Union has ended his hunger strike, which he began to draw attention to alleged nepotism in the student union, after 45 days.

In a LinkedIn post on Friday (June 28), Vareesh Pratap announced that he had ended his strike after reaching an agreement with the university to address the concerns outlined in his open letter, “Stop Killing Democracy.”

In the letter published last month, Pratap accused the SU of being a “quasi-family business” riddled with nepotism and expressed concern about alleged harassment of sabbatical officials.

The letter also raised concerns about the health of the Soviet Union as a democracy after four of the organization’s eight suspended officials resigned.

The students then launched a petition against the institution’s alleged inability to function as an effective representative body, which led to an extraordinary meeting of the SU. However, none of Pratap’s concerns listed in the open letter were addressed at that meeting and he was not present.

In a social media post, the president of the postgraduate college said: “At the heartfelt request of the Mayor of Cambridge (…) and in the esteemed presence of senior representatives of Lucy Cavendish College and the University of Cambridge, including Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. Bhaskar Vira, I have ended my ongoing dry fast today.”

University officials have assured Pratap that all the concerns raised in his letter will be considered and brought to the attention of the University Council by July 4. University understands.

These concerns included a “direct intervention” by the Vice-Chancellor to investigate declining student representation, possible targeted attacks on minority representatives and issues of financial transparency.

Pratap also promised in his agreement with the university to “focus on recovering his health and not to resume my fast.” This comes after he was reportedly hospitalized last month after collapsing while fasting on King’s Parade.

This agreement came after discussions with Pro-Vice-Chancellor Vira, Mayor of Cambridge and senior officials of Pratap’s College, Lucy Cavendish.

Last month University The investigation found that insiders within the SU had alleged that the institution’s senior management team fostered a “toxic environment of bullying, unfair treatment and discrimination” as well as “institutional racism and misogyny” towards sabbatical officers and SU staff.

Vareesh Pratap said University: “One of the biggest concerns has been the University’s delay in gathering and sharing the required information. On Friday, the University committed to receiving and sharing Cambridge SU’s response to the additional questions raised in the open letter by 4 July 2024.”

“Further proceedings will follow, with the results presented to the relevant committees, including the CCSSU and the University Council. Despite incidents that have significantly undermined the credibility of some senior university officials, yesterday’s commitment was made in the presence of senior officials from the municipality and a college,” he continued.

“Having resigned on 12 July and retaining my student membership, I will continue to pray that Cambridge SU remains true to its charitable aims and that the University fulfils its duties to students. I will follow the progress of the issues raised as a student. If I have witnessed the workings of the University and it continues to ignore its duties to the welfare of students, I may decide to resign from the University in the coming months,” he said.