Dalit scholar suicide: 'Overwhelmed' JAC members call bandh a success

Hyderabad/Vizag/Kakinada/Tirupati/New Delhi: Students from several universities across the country including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana responded overwhelmingly to the bandh call by the Joint Action Committee on Wednesday.  

Protests were reported in Osmania University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, JNTU, Kakatiya University, Warangal, Calicut University Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi University, Nalgonda and Telangana University, Nizamabad.

Protests were also held in various universities across India. Protesting inaction of the state in the Rohit Vemula suicide, the bandh was also total in AP. AU students boycotted classes, took out a rally with black flags and later held protests on the varsity campus. The students said that they are going to launch a relay hunger strike.  

Bandh was successful: JAC members
The students who observed the bandh in Acharya Nagarjuna University on Wednesday locked the main gates. ANU officials cancelled all examinations which were scheduled on Wednesday.

JNTU Kakinada postponed engineering examinations due to the strike. Students of TTD run Oriental College boycotted classes. JAC members said that the bandh was successful.

The teaching and non-teaching staff members of the ANU in Guntur tried to attend duties but agitating students did not allow them.

They raised slogans demanding dismissal of UoH V-C, Prof. P. Appa Rao and resignations of Union ministers Ms Smriti Irani and Mr Bandaru Dattatreya holding them responsible for the death of Rohith. NDSF ANU president, P. Gopalakrishna objected to the non-responsive behaviour of CMs of AP and TS.

He objected to BJP’s politicising of Rohith’s caste issue and asked the union government to dismiss the VC and sack the union minsters.

The JNTUK Registrar G.V.R. Prasada Raju said that the date of the day’s examinations would be announced later.

The students of Adikavi Nannayya University at Rajanagaram also observed the bandh. Student organisations staged rasta roko near APSP junction at Kakinada.

Prof. Sharon Raju, a faculty of Andhra University, said that they would intensify their stir until justice is provided to the family of Rohith.

“We are going to launch a relay hunger strike from Thursday. The government should immediately sack the UoH V-C Prof. Appa Rao as well as Union ministers Mr Dattatreya and Ms Irani,” he added.

SFI leader Priyanka described Rohith’s suicide as a political conspiracy and murder.

“The saffron brigade is waging a war against the minorities and Dalits in the country. What is the need for a Union Minister to write six letters for rustication of a student?” she asked.