‘Chalo HCU’ gets louder, as protest snowballs

Protests escalated on Monday at the Hyderabad University with several students from other universities and some social groups coming out in support of the agitating students over the alleged suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula. 

The protesters converged at the campus, responding to the Chalo HCU call by the Joint Action Committee spearheading the stir. “Students and others have come in from different parts of the country. There are more than a thousand gathered here. Situation is under control,” university chief security officer TV Rao said. 

Security was beefed up with a large number of police personnel being deployed around the campus as a precautionary measure. 

Their demands include ouster of Vice Chancellor P Appa Rao, who has proceeded on leave, and passing a “Rohith Act” to prevent suicide of ST, SC, BC and minority students in universities, the protesting students said. The students who gathered on the campus included those from Calicut University in Kerala, Pondicherry University, Osmania University and Maulana Azad National Urdu University. 

As part of ‘Chalo-HCU’ programme, the agitating students marched from HCU shopping complex area, the hub of the protest, to the main gate and administrative building and back. The indefinite fast launched by a fresh batch of seven students over suicide of Rohith continued in the HCU for the second day. Meanwhile, BR Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar visited the campus and interacted with the students. 

Hyderabad University on Monday informed the Hyderabad High Court that it has revoked suspension of four students, against whom action had been initiated along with Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula, who allegedly committed suicide. 

The counsel of the four students, however, said that they were not served with the order copy in this regard. The High Court has posted the matter to February 12.

Meanwhile, 13 more faculty members have resigned, protesting against the interim V-C Dr Vipin Srivastava.

An Act which provides for stringent action against those committing atrocities against SC and ST communities or indulging in actions which are derogatory to their dignity, including social or economic boycott, will come into effect from Tuesday. As per the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015, acts derogatory to the dignity of members of SC and ST, will now be treated as atrocities.