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  India   All India  14 Dec 2017  UP: Dalit topper won’t take medal from President

UP: Dalit topper won’t take medal from President

THE ASIAN AGE. | AMITA VERMA
Published : Dec 14, 2017, 2:14 am IST
Updated : Dec 14, 2017, 2:14 am IST

he convocation in the BBAU is scheduled to be held on December 15.

President Ram Nath Kovind (Photo: PTI)
 President Ram Nath Kovind (Photo: PTI)

Lucknow: In an unexpected development, a Dalit student who has topped MCA programme in the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) has refused to accept the gold medal from President Ram Nath Kovind in protest against the growing atrocities on Dalits.

The convocation in the BBAU is scheduled to be held on December 15 but Ramendra Naresh, who topped the MCA programme has informed the university that he will not accept the medal from the President.

Ramendra told a news channel on Wednesday that, “I am pained to see Dalit students and faculty members being harassed in state and central universities. Being Dalits, we are forced to live with low self-esteem. Dalits in general are still being treated as low caste and are subjected to mental torture and physical assaults across country”.

Incidentally, after topping the MCA in 2013-2016,  Ramendra had taken admission in B.Ed course in the same university in 2017 but was rusticated along with 8 others in a case involving violent clashes with other students in the campus.

“Yes, I am refusing to accept the gold medal as a mark of protest against Dalit atrocities and to show solidarity with our brethren. I will accept the gold medal only when the President and Prime Minister make sure that Dalits are treated at par with other communities”, he said.

The BBAU officials refused to comment on Ramendra’s decision. Earlier, three Dalit students had shown black flags and raised slogans against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he had visited the university in 2015 in protest against Rohith Vemula suicide case.

Meanwhile, in view of the past incident, the district administration has tightened security during President Ram Nath Kovind’s visit following intelligence input that Dalit students might organize protest during the award giving ceremony. 

Tags: ram nath kovind, babasaheb bhimrao ambedkar university
Location: India, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow