Students and Faculty of the University of Hyderabad (UoH), the site of a relentless struggle since the death of Rohith Vemula on January 17, 2016 will today protest the increasing attacks on Dalits across the country (Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh), made worse by a hostile regime of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the centre.
Today's protest comes in the midst of renewed attempts by the administration of the university to stifle protests, debates and discussion. On July 17, 2016 the administration issued a circular 'banning' protests and demonstrations on the campus. The Student's Union has responded strongly against this repressive and regressive move by the administration.
Meanwhile, the president of the Students Union of UoH, Zuhail KP has strongly condemned the statement of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) president (Telangana, M Ramaraju in which he had threatened that the Bajrang Dal would enter the university on July 28 to get hold of faculty indulging in ‘anti-national’ activities.
The UoH Students Union will not allow any such move, said the President Students Union of UoH. He demanded that the university administration ensure the safety of students. “The right-wing bigots have no place in our university”, the JAC said in a statement.
The VHP had, on July 23 demanded that the University of Hyderabad, which was at the centre of a controversy earlier this year over the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula, should suspend the faculty members indulging in “anti-national activities”. Further declaring its intent to take law into its own hands, the VHP-Bajrang Dal (BD) combine have ‘demanded the eviction of students who live in the hostels in an unauthorised manner.’ “We demand strict action against some faculty members who indulge in anti-national activities. We also seek suspension of students who take out rallies supporting anti-national elements and terrorists,” Telangana VHP President M Ramaraju said. “Bajrang Dal will undertake Chalo Hyderabad University programme on July 28 to protest anti-national activities in the varsity.” Ramaraju further threatened that if police failed to arrest those attacking ABVP leaders, Bajrang Dal would enter into university on July 28 and nab them.
The Students Union of UoH has strongly condemned the statement of VHP president (Telangana) in which he threatened that the Bajrang Dal would enter the university on July 28. The UoH Students Union will not allow any such move, said the President Students Union of UoH. He demanded that the university administration ensure the safety of students. “The right-wing bigots have no place in our university”, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) has said in a strong statement.
Meanwhile the students union and other bodies have announced a protest today, July 26, against the mounting atrocities against Dalits all over the country under the present central government.
The student’s union invite to the protest says:
Join us for a protest against atrocities on Dalits and minorities on July 26, 2016 at 05 pm at Velivaada, North Shop Complex:
Resist BJP’s Attack on Dalits and Minorities of the Country:
• A Dalit boy was brutally killed in Navi Mumbai: CRIME: Loving a fellow human being (categorized as Upper Caste)
• Two Dalit men from Beed in Maharashtra were beaten up brutally by a mob of about 25. CRIME: Overtaking the vehicles of Upper Castes by a bike owned by Dalits consisting a picture of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar pasted on their bike
• Three Dalits were brutally assaulted by Bajrang Dal in Karnataka: CRIME: Eating beef.
• Four Dalits were brutally assaulted for skinning a dead cow at Gir Somnath District in Gujarat. Stripped, handcuffed with metal strips, tied to a van and were attacked with iron rods in the most deplorable and inhuman manner. : CRIME: Skinning a dead cow
• Fifty Dalit families in Madhya Pradesh wrote to the chief minister, Sivaraj Singh Chauhan seeking permission to kill themselves, as Rohith Vemula requested for arrangement of Euthanasia facility for not allowing to read Ambedkar and against social boycott of five dalit research scholars at University of Hyderabad. In Madhya Pradesh, the land allotted to Dalits by Government was forcefully taken away by powerful political lobbies. CRIME: Birth itself.
• In June 2016: Cow vigilantes in Rajasthan stripped and beat up three people who were suspected to be transporting cows for alleged slaughtering.
• In March 2016 : Mustain Abbas was killed in Haryana, allegedly by gau rakshaks, when he was transporting a newly-purchased bull for use in his fields.
• Also in March: Two Muslim cattle traders, including a 12-year-old boy, were hanged from a tree in Jharkhand, allegedly by a cow protection group. CRIME: Herding Cattle
• Five Dalit Research Scholars Socially Boycotted at University of Hyderabad, for asserting the voice of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar and voice against casteist RSS and BJP, leading to mounting of political pressure from BJP and Sangh Parivar, subsequently resulting in the Suicide of Rohith Vemula. CRIME: Pursuing independent academic research for the marginalised
• Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched by supporters of Sangh Parivar and BJP in a horrifying manner. CRIME: Consuming BEEF.
Join Protest Meeting and an evening of cultural protest at 5 PM
Venue: Velivaada, Shopping Complex, North Campus
This academic term at the central university began with a questionable degree of policing by the administration and authorities. The Times of India reported today that a week after the academic session began, students at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) expressed distress at the constant surveillance on campus. Students alleged that security guards are restricting their movement, especially of girls, on the campus and CCTVs have been installed at all major junctions and places where students gather, in a move that has now turned intimidating.
The varsity authorities had decided to tighten security following a clash between members of ABVP and a few students on July 16 over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in Kashmir. The university, soon after, issued a circular restricting students from holding any public meetings or protests inside the campus. Since then, students claim they are experiencing intrusive surveillance on the campus.
"Due to the CCTV cameras at the shopping complex, students who want to support protests or raise their voice against various issues are not coming forward, fearing that the cameras will capture their identity," said Mitaji, a research scholar in the sociology department.
Students also said that for the first time, the administration has restricted entry of women into the men's hostel. "I was not allowed to give medicine to my friend in the men's hostel as the security guards stopped me at the entrance and threatened to call senior security personnel," said Debomita Mukherjee, an MA student of sociology.
"For research purposes, we often have to work together with our male friends. But now, the security guards are not only stopping us from sitting together in the hostel but are also raiding men's hostels to remove women," said another research scholar.
Members of the Gender Sensitization Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) recently submitted a representation to the chief warden and chief security officer in this regard. They called the university's move a clear violation of the Saksham Committee Report (2013) by the University Grants Commission, which states that 'campus safety policies should not result in over monitoring, policing or curtailing the freedom of movement, especially for women.'
The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has been the site of a determined contestation between the politics of the extreme right wing and the Sangh Parivar. This has particularly been sharper since 2015 when the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) was targeted by members of the RSS-driven Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The suspended Vice Chancellow Appa Rao Podille was brought back in a serious act of misdemenour while the MHRD-ordered Inquiry into the crisis emanating from the death of research scholar Rohith Vemula was still under way. Then in June 2016 the UoH administration tried ti suspend two faculty members and thereafter hurriedly revoked the suspension. Despite the change of guard at the top (Smriti Irani's being replaced by Prakash Jawdekar as MHRD Minister), the Modi Regime persists wit a deeply anatgonistic attitude towards the universities and students movements.
References:
1.Effigy Burning of Appa Rao Podile, BJP & RSS @HCU
2. HCU Faculty raps Appa Rao: "Shame that You are stooping to such Tactics"
3. First Students, Now Faculty: HCU Admin Continues Vengeance, Suspends Profs
4. Rohith Vemula a Dalit, Action under Atrocities Act Mandatory: NCSC Chairman PL Punia