Clean chit for University of Hyderabad angers Dalits

Hyderabad: The Centre for Dalit Studies on Wednesday said the Roopanwala Commission set up to look into the suicide of UoH scholar Rohith Vemula adopted “illegal” and “unethical practices”.

Those attending the meeting said the commission was only supposed to look into the facts and ascertain the reasons that had led to the scholar’s death but it focused on his caste.

Mr Ravi Gurajala, a member of the centre, said, “Unless the commission is given separate terms of reference, it is not allowed to probe unnecessary details. The Roopanwala commission has been given limited powers for the purpose of issuing deposition notices to witness, and calling for records. It is supposed to look into the facts of the case and the grievance redressal mechanism available at the university.”

Members highlighted findings from the report submitted by the two-member UGC fact-finding committee before the constitution of the Roopanwala Commi-ssion. They said that the report claimed that there had been a failure on the part of university officials in continuing dialogue with the protesting students (five Dalit scholars had been removed from the hostel and were staying near the shopping complex).

It stated that the grievance redressal mechanisms available at the university were nonfunctional, which played a crucial role in building a feeling of discrimination among the students from backward areas. The report blamed the administrative department of the University of Hyderabad for not laying down clear guidelines.

“The committee clearly stated that there were several gaps in the inquiry conducted after the suicide. How can we accept another report which has come months later, and which gives the university a clean chit, as the gospel truth?” asked Mr Gurajala.