Dalit Student Suicide Case: Violence, Tension Flare, Dattatreya Booked, HRD Team Rushes To Spot

18 January, Hyderabad

Suicide by a Dalit student in the Central University of Hyderabad Monday triggered violence and tension on the campus while a two member team of the Union Human Resource Development Ministry air dashed to Telengana to investigate and a criminal case was registered against Union Minister Bandaru Dattatareya .

Swinging into action, City police filed a case against Dattatreya, the Secunderabad MP, under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act after students alleged that he wrote to the HRD ministry demanding the suspension of Rohith Vemula and four other dalit students from the University hostel

Police also registered a case for abetment of suicide against C Ramachandra Rao, MLC, University of Hyderabad vice-chancellor Appa Rao and two Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad leaders, Sushil Kumar and Vishnu.

Further investigation was underway.

Tension pervaded the University following the extreme step of Vemula, a Dalit research scholar.

Agitated students prevented police from taking out the body from the room of the ‘New Research Scholars’ hostel, where Vemula hanged himself last evening.

They threw stones at an ambulance van parked near the hostel building.

Police swung into action to disperse the agitating students.

Rohith was expelled along with four other research scholars a fortnight ago.

Ever since their expulsion, the students of the Ambedkar Students’ Association had been on a sleep-in strike in the open campus.

The HRD immediately sent a two-member Central team to Hyderabad to inquire into the circumstances leading to the suicide of the expelled PhD scholar.

According to Ministry sources, action will be taken on the basis of its report though but did not specify any time frame.

Dattatreya, the Union Minister for Labour and Employment, has come into controversy for writing to the HRD Ministry, on the basis of a petition by ABVP.

He told media that he had written the letter regarding the situation in the university to the Union Ministry but it had nothing to do with the suicide.I have no connection with the suicide,” he said.

HRD Minister Smriti Irani conveyed her condolences on the death of the student. National SC/ST Commission chairman P L Punia said he will visit the Hyderabad University to meet the protesting students

Vemula was one of five Dalit scholars expelled by the Hyderabad Central University authorities for their reported attack on an Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad student activist in August.

The student from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh was expelled along with four other research scholars a fortnight ago, and ever since their expulsion, the students of the Ambedkar Students’ Association had been on a sleep-in strike in the open campus.

Accusing the BJP of pursuing ”anti-Dalit” agenda, Congress demanded the resignation of Mr Dattatreya and urged HRD Minister Irani to book those involved in the ”victimisation” of the student.

Addressing a news conference, Congress spokesperson R P N Singh said, ”The fact that RSS and BJP were playing the anti-Dalit card can be proved by the suicide note of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula at Hyderabad university in which he has blamed Mr Dattatreya and cohorts of the ABVP for creating anti-Dalit culture at the college campus. ”Congress demands that Mr Dattatreya resign now that an FIR has been lodged against him failing which the Prime Minister should sack him.

”Congress also demands that Ms Irani should visit the campus and book those involved in the incident so as to provide justice to the deceased,” the spokesperson said. He added, ”Rajasthan, Haryana and Tamil Nadu witnessed grave atrocities on Dalits and the state and central universities remained silent spectators. Instead of punishing the guilty and providing relief to those affected, Union Minister V K Singh compared Dalit children to dogs.” Eds: Pl pick up suitably from earlier series