HCU row: Teachers go on mass leave citing 'human rights violations' in campus

Hyderabad: The SC/ST faculty forum and the faculty members of the Hyderabad University went on a mass casual leave on Tuesday, in protest against the unprecedented situation prevailing in the varsity campus arising out of a series of human rights violations following the protests by students on March 22.

Nearly 50 teachers stayed away from classes, even as the authorities maintained that the classes were functioning normally.

In a letter written to the university Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile, the faculty members cited how the police resorted to an unwarranted and disproportionate show of force on the protesting students and neutral bystanders, adding that the university administration made no alternative arrangements to alleviate the distressing situation on the campus.

The faculty members have decided to go on a mass leave against the atrocities done against the students and also against the continued denial of justice to Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula.

However, HCU Registrar M Sudhakar told PTI, "Classes are going on...they are functioning normally."

On the one-day mass leave call given by some faculty members, the registrar said, "We have not officially received any letter from them."

The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice of HCU appealed to the students to use blue ribbons as a means of protest, declaration and reminder of the fact that "our fight is still on" while going about classes, labs and other activities.

"We appeal to the students, faculty of University of Hyderabad, to resume their academic activities and classes alongside the protests," the JAC said.

They further demanded immediate removal and arrest of Appa Rao under Prevention of Atrocities Act and demilitarisation of the campus and introduction of Rohith Act.

Last week, Appa Rao - currently under judicial probe in the Vemula case, returned to campus after a two-month-long leave.

He had requested the students and the faculty to continue with classes and had assured them full support in attending classes. Requesting that they do not get deterred by any “advise or persuasion”, Prof Podile, in a circular, had said “Students should think only about their studies, classes, minor examinations and semester exams, and should not be deterred by any advice or persuasion to the contrary. You will get all possible support from me and your teachers in this regard.”

"At this point in time the students and the faculty members are concerned only about completing on time the remaining classes to be held in the current semester and the internal assessment tests (or minors).

After his return to the campus following his two-month leave, angry students had protested outside his house, breaking window panes, smashing doors and television, while shouting slogans.

They also vandalised his office and there was reportedly, a lot of damage caused. The students were arrested and the university has been under complete lockdown since then.

A city court yesterday granted bail to 25 students and two faculty members who were arrested.

Vemula, 26, had hung himself in his hostel room at the university campus in January, five months after being suspended for allegedly attacking an ABVP leader.