MANIK Sarkar, chief minister of Tripura and the Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M) visited Hyderabad on January 22 and expressed solidarity with the students protesting against the institutional murder of research scholar Rohith Vemula. He also met the students who are sitting on hunger strike and are demanding resignation of the vice chancellor.

He said, “Rohith Vemula, the dalit research student who allegedly committed suicide on Hyderabad Central University (HCU) campus, would not have resorted to the extreme step had the administration acted in an "unbiased" way.

 
"There may be ideological differences (among students). At times it may lead to quarrel also. But the administration should solve the problem in an amicable manner without any bias towards any section of students. But I am told (that) in this university, the authorities, the vice-chancellor could not act in proper manner. If that kind of (unbiased) stand was taken we wouldn't have lost Rohith," he said in his address to the agitating students. 

He also said that the students have a "birth-right" to choose their political or social affiliation. 

"Students inside the campus and outside the campus have a right to choose any student organisation or political organisation or social organisation. It's a right of a student, I should say a birth right," Manik Sarkar said, adding that Rohith's death is a loss to the society. 

T N Seema, member of parliament from Kerala also visited the Hyderabad Central University campus and expressed her solidarity with agitating students. 

Protests across Kerala over Rohith’s Suicide

PROTESTS demonstrations took place across Kerala over the suicide of Rohith Vemula, a dalit research scholar in Hyderabad Central University. Intellectuals, teachers, students, social activists and workers rallied under the banner of progressive and democratic forces to register their strong protest against the communal and castiest forces who forced the dalit scholar to commit suicide.

Eminent historian Prof. K N Panikker has said that the campuses in the country have been converted to the protection centres of Hindutva fascism and the suicide of Rohith Vemula shows the communal face of campuses. He was addressing a gathering of writers organised by various outfits at Thiruvananthapuram. The situation of Dalits is alarming still today. The activities of communal fascism are making all of us shameful, Prof. Panikker said.

 Prof. V N Murali, general secretary of Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham (Progressive Writers Organisation), presided over the function. Eminent poets like Prabha Varma, Ezhacheri Ramachandran, P S Srikala, J Devika, G P Ramachandran, Rajashekharan, and P Soman addressed the gathering.

SFI organised protest march in all campuses in the state. As part of observation of Protest Day, hundreds of students marched towards the state secretariat. E P Jayarajan, Central Committee member of CPI(M), inaugurated the march. SFI leaders P V Varun, Nithish, Krishnajith addressed the students. The SFI unit of Kerala University Campus led a protest march to extend solidarity with the student community in Hyderabad Central University.

(N S Sajith)

TRIPURA

THE SFI and TSU in Tripura took out a protest rally in Agartala to demand justice for Rohith Vemula. Hundreds of students under the banner of the organisations took to streets on January 20. Raising slogans they demanded a proper inquiry into the matter and immediate resignation of the VC of HCU and the two central ministers alleged to be responsible for the situation leading to the sad incident.

             Tripura Tapasili Jati Samanway Samiti in a statement mourned the demise of Rohith Vemula and demanded justice for him. It said that with Modi government coming to power, atrocities against the dalits are on the rise. This must be checked and free and fair treatment should be given to all the students in educational institutions.

(Rahul Sinha)

DSMM Expresses Solidarity with the

Students Agitation in HCU

THE Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch leadership visited the campus of University of Hyderabad, met the student community, academia and the family of Rohith Vemula on January 24. The resolve of the student community to fight for justice was evident and reflected in their action. The unity of the students devoid of caste, creed and affiliations was clearly seen. V Srinivasa Rao from DSMM and G Ramulu of KVPS and others went and met the family of Rohith Vemula.

“The vice chancellor has come to visit my house (rented apartment) with his security. The security personnel came to my house and wanted to negotiate with me to speak to the vice chancellor who is waiting in a car. I rejected to speak to him even on phone and asked him to speak to the students. Even for the telephonic conversation to happen I want it to be taking place over the speaker phone amidst the student community. What I want is justice to Rohith and this discrimination should stop and no mother should further feel a similar kind of pain...” were the words of mother of Rohith Vemula that she spoke in conversation with the DSMM leadership at Velivada (ostracised place). She was inconsolable and the plight of the mother who was a single woman and brought up the child was heart breaking. Velivada is the place where Rohith and four of his friends sat down for a protest against the discriminatory action taken on them. She was sitting in the same place protesting until she was hospitalised on the 24th night.

V Srinivasa Rao, member of the DSMM national convening committee, while addressing the agitating students at the University of Hyderabad, gave a call for united movement to oust the VC and his immediate arrest. He demanded the appointment of an Independent National Judicial Commission for sternly dealing with issues of discrimination by authorities in all Institutions of higher education. The injustice done to a son who is a reflection of an aspiring young talent is nothing but the systemic way of silencing the voice of the marginalised and oppressed sections. It has led to an uproar in the whole country against injustice. The least one could do is to empathise with the family and the grief of the mother. It took more than a week for the prime minister to even shed crocodile tears, he said. At a point of time when the nation is witnessing protests across the country the government's attitude appears to be to side-step the issue. The mere asking of the vice-chancellor to go on leave and nominating the same person who has instigated the action on Rohith Vemula and four others as the in-charge VC itself indicates what the attitude of this government is. The DSMM demands the immediate removal of Prof. Appa Rao as the VC and his arrest, removal of Bandaru Dattatreya and Smriti Irani as union ministers. A comprehensive compensation has to be given to Rohith's family so as to facilitate them to live with dignity said V Srinivasa Rao. He also garlanded the second batch of students who went on indefinite hunger-strike after the first batch of students were hospitalised.