Hyderabad: Addressing the gathering JAC leaders demanded that the police go back from the university or allow students inside to participate in the massive protest.
They demanded the arrest of Union ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya, VC Prof. Appa Rao Podile and blamed them for the ‘institutional murder’ of Rohith Vemula. After receiving an assurance from the police that the students from other institutions who carried ID cards would be allowed inside, the JAC withdrew the protest at the main gate.
Balanagar traffic ACP, P. Ashok, on duty at the main dais, promised students that they would allow all students and if necessary, they would inform the OU police to allow OU students to march towards UoH.
Meanwhile, the university administration told the media that there was no permission for the protests and rallies in the campus, which led to another protest at the administrative building by JAC leaders. The JAC has also condemned the appointment of Dr Srivastava as VC.
Cyberabad police deployed about four platoons apart from law and order and AR units from Madhapur zone outside the university.
About 150 law and order police including a DCP, one additional DCP, three ACPs, 15 inspectors and 15 SIs were deployed inside the campus.
Officials also deployed a water tender and fire tenders to prevent untoward incidents. Apart from this, four platoons of armed forces were also deployed near Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi Stadium as reserve.
Carry on, change policies: Thorat
The chairman of the Indian Council of Social Sciences Research, Mr Sukhdeo Thorat, has sent a clear message to University of Hyderabad students.
Addressing the students Mr Thorat said, “Do not allow the sacrifice of Rohith Vemula go waste.” Mr Thorat, who came out with a report on discrimination against SC/ST students at the AIIMS in New Delhi in 2011 told the students to carry on their movement and ensure that it ends in a change in policy in the country.
He told the students that never before has a Dalit student movement attracted the nation’s attention like the one at UoH even though there were 23 suicides by Dalit, Muslim and Other Backward Community students due to discrimination in higher education institutions in India.
He told the students to form a national network for achieving an inclusive education policy. Mr Thorat suggested a set of points to the students while pressing for policy change.
He said the students must ask the Union Human Resources Development minister to set up a panel at the national level and at the UoH to probe discrimination in educational institutions which will help in bringing in reforms in curriculum to make it friendly for students from rural areas and marginalised sections.
Mr Sukhdeo Thorat called for a law against discrimination on campuses which would make it criminal. He said that even though the SC/ST Atrocities Act exists it speaks very less on discrimination in educational institutions.
Mr Sukhdeo also called for a regulation by the UGC on best administrative practices to check discrimination.
Mr Sukhdeo Thorat said that law alone cannot bring about change and gave the example of how between 1999-2013 2,50,000 cases of atrocities were booked.
He said that teaching and the curriculum are elitist in Indian universities and that a remedial programme should be started for strengthening the communication skills and subject knowledge of rural students.
Mr Thorat also wanted Dalits in all administrative bodies of the university.
