TISS joins strike over Rohith Vemula suicide

Hundreds of students, staff and faculty from Tata Institute of Social Sciences participated in the national university strike called on January 27 called by the National Committee for Social Justice formed of students from campuses across the nation in response to the suicide of dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula. The students have prepared a list of eight demands on the lines of those made by students in Hyderabad and will be submitting them during the ‘Chalo Vidhan Sabha’ protest rally on February 1 to the government.

The students under the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice – TISS, Mumbai as a part of the strike gathered in the campus since morning and made posters against the “systemic oppression” that led to Vemula’s suicide. The protesting students called the incident as an “institutional murder” carried out by the UoH administration, government officials and ministers.

“A day-long poster making campaign was conducted and these were put up all over the campus. Some of the faculties called off the classes for the day for being part of the National Strike. There was also a postcard campaign in which the students and faculties wrote to the President of India raising their demands,” said a student representative of the TISS committee.

The main demands included arrest of Bandaru Dattatreya, Union labour minister, Smriti Irani, Union MHRD minister, P. Appa Rao, vice-chancellor, University of Hyderabad, prof. Alok Pandey, chief proctor, Ramchandra Rao, BJP MLC, Susheel Kumar, ABVP president under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. The demands also included calls for immediate removal of Rao from the post of vice-chancellor and acting VC Bipin Srivatsava.

They also sought compensation for Vemula’s family by way of providing employment to a family member in the University of Hyderabad, pay his family '50 lakhs as compensation and said the fellowship amount due to Rohith must be given immediately.

The other demands include dropping of false police cases filed on five dalit research scholars and other students detained by the police immediately and unconditionally. Revoking their suspension and any form of ostracizing forced upon them by way of access to institute facilities at UoH immediately and unconditionally.

Later in the evening, the students gathered for cultural activities. “Some students from TISS who visited the UoH campus on January 25 as part of “Chalo HCU” campaign shared their experiences and the situation in UoH with other students. Many of the students will be participating in the ‘Chalo Vidhan Sabha’ protest rally led by Adv. Prakash Ambedkar on February 1,” said the spokesperson of the committee.