HCU stir: Students' JAC calls for nationwide varsity strike on January 27

Hyderabad: The agitation at Hyderabad Central University over the suicide of dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula further escalated on Monday with students rejecting the appointment of Vipin Srivastava as interim Vice-Chancellor and calling for a nationwide university strike on January 27.

On a day when students from different universities converged on the campus here to pledge support to the stir, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) also said a bandh will be called in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh if their demands are not met.

Read: Hyderabad: Tension soars as students across India join ‘Chalo HCU’ stir

The students are demanding ouster of Vice Chancellor P Appa Rao, who has proceeded on leave, and enactment of a legislation called "Rohith Act" aimed at preventing suicide of ST, SC, BC and minority students in universities.

"We are discussing with JACs of other universities to form a nation-wide JAC to take forward the agitation until justice is delivered to Rohit. The JAC also calls for a strike in Universities across the country on January 27," a spokesperson of JAC for Social Justice (HCU) said.

Read: Hyderabad scholar death: Badgered Vice-Chancellor goes on leave

On his part, Srivastava appealed to the students to withdraw their hunger strike, saying the deadlock could be resolved only through dialogue and that the administration should be allowed to function.

"We have been telling them for the last three days not to go on hunger strike. The main problem at this time is, today is 25th of January, students' scholarships, fellowships... There is a procedure to be followed. Somebody has to sign the cheques", Srivastava said.

Read: HCU Suicide: 7 more UoH students go on indefinite protest fast

The students and SC/ST faculty and officers forums had objected to the choice of Srivastava to perform the duties of the VC alleging that he headed the Executive Council Sub-Committee "which has been responsible for the death of Rohith" and was one of the "accused" in the suicide of another Dalit student Senthil Kumar in 2008.

However, Srivastava said the reasons behind the student taking his own life in 2008 were not clear. "He was going through pre-PhD course work and for reasons which are still not clear, he committed suicide," he added.

Read: Hyderabad varsity VC Appa Rao says he took leave to facilitate talks

Srivastava said he met some faculty members last night, and has sent an email to his colleagues "if they can come down to my residence and we can talk".

"Only through talks we can arrive at a solution. I reiterate the administration should be allowed to function and laboratories should be opened so that the students do not experience any irreparable damage," he added.

Security was beefed up with a large number of police personnel being deployed around the campus with the police "verifying" all those who are entering the campus.

As the indefinite fast launched by a fresh batch of seven students over suicide of Rohith entered the second day, hundreds of students from institutions like Pondicherry University, Andhra University, IIT Bombay, Osmania University, Maulana Azad National Urdu University and Tata Institute of Social Sciences converged on the campus pledging support.

Read: Solution possible through talks, ready to discuss the issue, says HCU interim V-C

The hunger fast was resumed on the campus yesterday after the previous batch of seven fasting students were shifted to the hospital on Saturday after their health deteriorated.

According to HCU chief security officer TV Rao, over a thousand students and others have come in from different parts of the country.

They marched from HCU shopping complex area, the hub of the protest, to the main gate and administrative building and back.

Vowing to deepen and broaden the stir, JAC said moves are also afoot to form a nation-wide JAC to take forward the agitation.

B R Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar visited the campus and interacted with the students.

The HCU today told the Hyderabad High Court that it has revoked suspension of four students, against whom action had been initiated along with Rohith.

However, the counsel of the four students contended that they were not served with the order copy in this regard, following which the HC directed the HCU to file before it the documents of the circular/order on revocation of suspension along with the counter affidavit to be filed on the petition challenging their suspension.

Meanwhile, Rohith's mother Radhika was admitted to a private hospital yesterday after she complained of chest pain, Dr Ravindra Kumar, said a senior doctor at the health centre in the University, adding, she has been kept under observation in the ICU.

Rohit was found hanging in a hostel room on the HCU campus on January 17, sparking strong reactions on the campus and across the country.