Chennai: The suicide by a Dalit student in Hyderabad highlights the fact about rampant discrimination on campuses even today, say students of Madras University.
Around 20 students in the university expressed solidarity with the Hyderabad Dalit student and a condolence ceremony has been organised by IIT students tomorrow.
The group for Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle of IIT as well as students from various educational institutions across the country as well as in the city shared the photograph and letter of V. Rohith who committed suicide in Hyderabad Central University in social media. “As similar discriminations happen in Madras University, we show solidarity to Rohith who committed suicide at Hyderabad Central University,” said C. Karmugil, a student.
Pointing out similar discriminations in Madras University, M. Prakash, a second year public administration student, spoke about an episode that took place a few months ago when the head of the department of law refused to sign the scholarship certificate of a student, as he was a dalit.
“About a year ago, the head of department of legal studies told a dalit student that he cannot pursue scholarship because he was a dalit. He refused to sign on the scholarship certificate,” he said. He added that it was followed by court proceedings and now it has settled. T. Sivaraj a second year M.A Legal studies student, who is a first graduate from his family and a victim of such discrimination said that whenever he has doubt on any part of the syllabus, the professors would refuse to explain.
“All the professors in my department know my background. My father is a coolie. Whenever I will ask any doubt, or ask any critical questions like why the dalits are not allowed to enter the temples, they would say that since I am a Dalit they couldn’t explain it,” he said.
He added that most of the faculty members avoid whatever questions he asks. If the student is not a dalit then professors offer full explanation.
