Hyderabad: With recent suicides on University of Hyderabad campus, the Centre for women’s studies organised a panel discussion on ‘Prevention of Suicide.’ Appa Rao Podile, Vice-Chancellor, UoH had to give a brief address which was opposed by some students. Pro-Dalit students attended the discussion by wearing Rohith Vemula’s face as a mask and opposed the event.
Some students also questioned the panelists about administration’s decisions. The opposition to the discussion came after students saw Rao’s name on the poster inviting students for a panel discussion.
Salman Shaik, a student said, “I was shocked when I saw the poster because the person who discriminated against students are giving lectures on suicide. How can I listen to them when they have been accused in many cases like the Madari Venkatesh’s suicide in 2002 and Rohith Vemula in 2016.”
Speaking during the panel discussion, Dontha Prashanth, a student said, “It would be great if Rao had attended the discussion. UGC have instituted committees for grievance redressal mechanisms, anti-discrimination and other redressal mechanism by taking lessons from the institutional murder of students.”
“The chief warden has been arbitrarily imposing fines on students coming from economically weak backgrounds. Students have been challenging the administration for imposing fines, but have not received justice,” he added.
Some even created mems by replacing the “Prevention of Suicide” with “How to commit Suicide”. Twist in the tale was Appa Rao was absent for the brief address.
