Even as a semblance of normalcy returned to the University of Hyderabad with classes reopening on Monday, almost two weeks after a Dalit PhD student’s suicide triggered a massive turmoil and shutdown at the university, Joint Action Committee for social justice has given a ten days ultimatum to the administration to meet all its demands.
While the academic and research activities resumed after the new interim vice-chancellor M Periasamy’s appeal, the students continued their peaceful protest, including relay hunger strikes.
“We want to make it clear to the administration that there cannot be any compromise on the removal of the vice-chancellor P Appa Rao. His going on leave is not the solution. He should be removed and our agitation will continue till our demands were met,” said a JAC spokesperson.
Along with the students Dalit teachers have also resumed their duties. SC, ST Teachers and Officers Forum said that its members have resumed their work as teachers as well as in their administrative capacity. Earlier, nearly 30 Dalit teachers had resigned from their administrative responsibilities in protest against the alleged caste discrimination in the university. Forum convenor Sudhakar Babu said that the Faculty members had decided to resume their administrative responsibilities in view of the appeal of the interim Vice Chancellor Periasamy.
On the same day the Hyderabad High Court issued a stay order against the arrest of three students including Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad leader Susheel Kumar for their alleged role in abetting Rohith Vemula’s suicide on January 17.
However the court ordered the three students Susheel Kumar, Diwakar and Krishna Chaitanya to cooperate with the police in the investigations of the case. The court issued a notice to Telangana government to file a counter before it when before the case comes up for further hearing after three weeks.
Way for the return of normalcy to the campus was paved after the first interim VC Vipin Srivastava also decided to go on leave as the agitating students had refused to accept him holding him responsible for the suspension of five Dalit research scholars leading to suicide by one of them Rohith Vemula. Five students were facing allegations of clash with the members of AVBP, the students wing of the BJP giving a political color to the entire issue.
M Periasamy, head of the department of Chemistry, on becoming the second interim VC extended a hand of friendship towards the students by acknowledging that the suspension of five students was hasty and there was a problem of caste discrimination in the university.
The resumption of classes of UOH became possible after the interim VC Periasamy held a meeting with representatives of Join Action Committee for Social Justice on Sunday and discussed their demands.
Rohith’s suicide had created an explosive situation after it came to light the university administration had suspended him and four other Dalit students following the letters from two union ministers Bandaru Dattatreya and Smiriti Irani.
A huge political controversy erupted as several prominent leaders of other political parties including Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Chief Ministers of Delhi and Triupura Arvind Kejriwal and Manik Sarkar and CPIM leader Sitaram Yechuri and CPI leader S Sudhakar Reddy visited the campus to show their solidarity with the agitating students. Rahul Gandhi came second time to campus on Saturday to stage a day’s fast along with the students.