Journalism of Courage
Under attack from all quarters for the decision to suspend five Dalit scholars, including Rohith Vemula who committed suicide on Sunday, for allegedly assaulting an ABVP leader, the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) is considering a dilution of the punishment meted out to the remaining students and a brief closure of the institution to mitigate rising tempers on campus.
According to sources in the HCU administration, Vice Chancellor Professor Appa Rao has called an emergency meeting of the Executive Council (EC) to discuss the above proposal.
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Rao, university officials added, is in favour of reducing the six-month suspension, starting December 18, 2015, to one month. “The student’s death is unfortunate but this issue is now being used to further political motives. Politicians are arriving in droves on campus and only fanning tempers. The university may also close for a few days to help normalcy return to campus life,” said an official, who did not wish to be identified.
HRD Minister Smriti Irani told The Indian Express on Wednesday that she hasn’t received any communication from Hyderabad University regarding dilution in punishment meant for the remaining four scholars.
An official reaction from the University was not immediately available since the meeting is on.
As protests continue in the university, politicians of all hues are making a beeline for the campus visit to express solidarity with the agitating students. On Tuesday, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi went to Hyderabd. He attacked attacked the vice-chancellor as well as a “minister in New Delhi”, without naming either HRD Minister Smriti Irani or MoS for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya, who has been named in the FIR on abetment to suicide. Trinamool Congress MPs Derek O’Brien and Pratima Mondal spent two hours on campus interacting with students. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati and Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechuri are set to arrive on Wednesday. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is likely to visit on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the government went into damage control mode on Wednesday and held a joint press conference by HRD Minister Smriti Irani, Social Justice Empowerment Minister and MoS Commerce Nirmala Sitharaman on the issue that has snowballed into a political storm. Irani reiterated the defence that her ministry was only going by the book by issuing a letter and four reminders to Hyderabad University seeking comments/facts on the issues raised by MoS for Labour and Employment Banadaru Dattatreya as the government is under obligation to respond to ‘VIP references’’ in 30 days.
Dattatreya had written to Irani in August last year, accusing the university of being a “mute spectator” after a group of Dalit students, including Vemula who committed suicide, clashed with ABVP leader Nandanam Susheel Kumar.
