Hyderabad: Caution seemed the buzzword on the University of Hyderabad campus on Tuesday, with in-charge Vice-Chancellor Vipin Srivastava wrapping up his Republic Day speech in a mere two minutes, even as protesters kept their emotions in check. Mr Srivastava’s rather short speech was completed without interruptions as the students respected the decision of the Joint Action Committee and refrained from shouting slogans or conducting any marches, despite being well aware that it was the first public appearance of the in-charge V-C, who was also responsible for the suspension of the five Dalit scholars.
The protesters said that they would uphold the dignity of the occasion and not indulge in any “anti-national” activities. Meanwhile, in his speech, Mr Srivastava expressed condolences over Rohith Vemula’s suicide, terming it ‘an unfortunate incident on the campus’. Unlike the previous years, this year’s ceremony in the UoH turned out to be a somber affair, with fewer people turning up.
There were no cultural programmes and the annual award distribution function was not held. The organisers had to gather campus school students and teachers to fill the rather large gaps among the audience. The V-C hoisted the flag and addressed the gathering without a microphone. He asked the university community to come together and ‘solve the existing issue’.
Elsewhere, the JAC members said that Mr Srivastava was also responsible for the sufferings of Dalit students and the death of Rohith, but they didn’t want to corner him on Republic Day. “This is a democratic protest against injustice. We will be continuing our protest here till all our demands are met. We are not anti-nationals to interrupt the Republic Day ceremony,” said a JAC member.
