HYDERABAD: Organisers of the 105th Indian Science Congress (ISC) are worried that the suicide of E. Murali could bode ill for the event which is scheduled to be held at Osmania University from January 3, 2018.
The Indian Science Congress, which will be attended by over 15 Nobel laureates from various fields, is supposed to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister.
Professor T. Parthasarathy, one of the organisers, says, “What has happened is unfortunate, but the ISC will go on. We have been in touch with all our foreign guests. Whatever has happened is immaterial; it was due to personal reasons. The prestigious event will be held at any cost.”
He says that he hopes the suicide does not have any repercussions on the event. “I do not think anyone will back out from such a prestigious event. However, we will continue to remain in touch with our guests to ensure there are no problems in communication,” he says.
Meanwhile, some people are surprised that the preparations for the ISC are proceeding unabated. Prof. Battu Satyanarayana, the president of the Osmania University Teachers’ Association (OUTA), says, “It is clear from Murali’s suicide note that he committed suicide due to fear of the upcoming exams and the lack of time for preparation. Instead of addressing the issue, our authorities are more interested in conducting the Indian Science Congress. They held a meeting regarding the event at a hotel in Begumpet. How can they ignore a suicide that has occurred on campus just a month before the programme?”
The OUTA has also released a statement against the administration condemning the brutal lathi charge by the police against emotionally-charged students assembled at Maneru Hostel.
The statement reads, “It is shocking that the Rapid Action Force was present at the Osmania University campus to beat emotional and innocent students. We have not seen the Rapid Action Force even during the peak of the Telangana agitation.”
Members of the Association have asked a sitting or retired judge of the High Court to conduct an investigation into the incident. Osmania University is scheduled to host the ISC after nearly two decades.
