Hyderabad scholar death: Varsity cancels suspensions, but stir goes on

Dalit faculty, officials quit; protest over Smriti’s claim

The University of Hyderabad revoked the suspension of four of Rohith Vemula’s fellow research scholars but the storm over the dalit student’s suicide earlier this week intensified on Thursday. The university’s controller of examinations and 12 other faculty members belonging to the SC/ST communities, including the chief warden and chief medical officer, also gave up their administrative posts in solidarity.

The university announced that it had “terminated the punishment” imposed on dalit students with immediate effect, but made the decision conditional on the outcome of two court cases and a police investigation. This decision, with three riders, hugely angered the student community, wh vowed to continue their fight.

Of the two cases, both in the high court, one is the writ petition (No. 28073/2015) moved by Ms Vinaya Kumar, mother of ABVP leader Susheel Kumar, seeking action on students who allegedly assaulted her son and the other is the petition (41516/2015) filed by D. Prashanth and other research scholars seeking revocation of their suspension. The university decision is also conditional on the outcome of the police investigation into the assault complaint filed by Mr Susheel Kumar.

The university had on December 18 suspended five students — D. Prashanth, Rohith Vemula (who later committed suicide), P. Vijay Kumar, C. Sheshaiah and V. Sunkanna — from the hostels till the completion of their studies.

The decision was taken at a special meeting of the executive council held under the chairmanship of vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile and put out in a press statement issued by students’ welfare dean Prof. Prakash Babu. The executive council said it had taken the decision due to the “extraordinary situation in the campus”.

Mr Zuhail, a student union leader, took serious objection to the manner in which the decision was announced.

“Instead of the vice-chancellor issuing orders, it came from the dean, which is not acceptable to us. What do they mean by extraordinary situation on the campus Are they belittling our protest ” he asked. The student leader said that their fight would continue.

“Had this decision been made before Rohith’s death, we would have agreed. Not now. We want action against culprits responsible for the suicide, including the vice-chancellor, action against Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya, ABVP leader Susheel Kumar, '50 lakhs in compensation for Rohith’s family and a job for his brother,” Mr Zuhail said.

Hours after issuing the statement, Prof. Appa Rao issued an appeal to the university community to maintain calm and harmony under the “extraordinary circumstances” prevailing on the campus.

Students said the vice-chancellor used to issuing such statements and they need not pay much attention to it.

Earlier, members of dalit (SC/ST) faculty of Hyderabad University said in a statement it was unfortunate that HRD minister Smriti Irani “misrepresented” the facts of the case by saying the seniormost dalit professor actually headed the executive council sub-committee which took the decision to suspend the students, while it was headed by an “upper caste” professor, Vipin Srivastava. “Such a baseless and misleading statement coming from the honourable minister of HRD amounts to bringing down the morale of dalits holding administrative positions in this university as well as other universities... In response to the honourable minister’s fabricated statements, we the dalit (SC/ST) faculty and officers will lay down our administrative positions,” the statement said.

The faculty body further said it was unfortunate that since its inception, no dalit representation had been given in the executive council of the University of Hyderabad.