Friends of Rohith Vemula, and a section of academicians demanding justice for him, hailed the opposition of Jadavpur University students to the “onslaughts” of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (AVBP).
At a convention, held in the city on Sunday, by the West Bengal Chapter of Joint Action Committee for Social Justice, a forum demanding justice for the deceased Hyderabad Central University student, Anand Teltumbde, a Professor of Indian Institute of Technology, said that “the spirit of resistance put up by Jadavpur University was commendable”.
Underlining that the resistance put up by Jadavpur University students should be replicated in other educational institutions, Professor Teltumbde expressed hope that when colleges and universities reopen after summer vacation more such resistance will be visible. Rohith Vemula’s friend and Hyderabad Central University student Dontha Prasanth also welcomed the “resistance” by JU students.
“We welcome the resistance and this should continue in every academic institution,” he said.
Dontha Prasanth said that the AVBP is trying to enter educational institutions in the country by appointing persons of their choice to key administrative posts and then inciting violence in the campuses.At least on two occasions in the past few months the students of Jadavpur University have been at loggerheads with supporters of ABVP. Only last month a Left-affiliated student organisation of the University and ABVP sparred over the screening of Vivek Agnihotri’s film Buddha In a Traffic jam .
According to those participating in the convention, after Hyderabad Central University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jadavpur University has not only shown solidarity but resistance to the “Hindutva forces”.
At the convention both Anand Teltumbde and Dontha Prasanth hailed the social reformation in West Bengal and said that the State has never been appreciative of caste system. A resolution was later adopted seeking justice for Rohith Vermula and measures that Dalit students do not face discrimination in institutes of higher learning.
The resolution read by Professor Partha Sarathi Roy of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata said, “No revolution without annihilation of caste, No annihilation of caste without resolution”.
The resistance should be replicated in other educational institutions, say academicians
