Students’ panel set up after Rohith Vemula’s death plan another protest
28 December 2019
Rohith Vemula, Rohith Vemula death, Rohith Vemula suicide, Rohith Vemula death protest, mumbai protests, mumbai city newsMore
Rohith Vemula committed suicide in Hyderabad.
THE JOINT Action Committee for Social Justice, which Friday organised the ‘Inquilab Morcha’ at Azad Maidan was formed after the death of student leader Rohith Vemula. Ever since, the committee has come together for demonstrations, including after the suicides of postgraduate medical student Payal Tadvi and IIT-Madras student Fatima Latheef.
“We are from various educational institutions, including IIT-Bombay, TISS, MU and Samata Kala Manch, who met during demonstrations held for Rohith Vemula. We don’t have any office but meet frequently. We divided ourselves into teams for today’s protest,” said one of the organisers, adding that planning for another protest is underway.
While students of IIT-Bombay performed a play at the protest, students of TISS addressed the protestors. Faculties from a few educational institutions also participated in the protest.
Others included Hammadurr Ahman, a final-year history student from Jamia Millia Islamia, who was part of the peaceful protest at Jamia that had ended with police entering the campus and beating up students on December 15.
Recalling the incident, Ahman said, “I was in Jamia leading the protest outside the gate, and was trying to save the students. I was also hit by lathis. We were demonstrating outside Jamia and were doing it very peacefully. But the police did not allow us. Apart from entering the campus without permission, the police hurled abuses at students. The women hostels were raided by the police...”
“Now, there is anger and fear among students, said Ahman. “The administration is Jamia is supporting the government. They are under a lot of pressure. Our vice-chancellor has been contradicting her statements. She said that police entered the campus without permission, and also that what police did was perhaps right. We will be fighting for her resignation.”
“The hostels have been vacated. Jamia has cancelled two examinations. Only 100 students are left on the campus. Those who have gone home will be back and join the movement. The administration has been trying to intimidate and target Leftist students. Parents are being asked to call back their wards,” Ahman said.
Meanwhile, a Mumbai-based theatre artiste and native of Nagina town in Uttar Pradesh, Waris Ahmed Zaidi, has been told by his parents not to return home despite having a ticket for December 30.
“My parents have confined themselves to our home since a week, even though our house is near the police station in a Muslim mohalla. My brother is studying BTech in Jamia. He had gone home but they are asking me to avoid coming. Many people from my locality have been beaten up and detained,” he said.
Rohith Vemula, Rohith Vemula death, Rohith Vemula suicide, Rohith Vemula death protest, mumbai protests, mumbai city newsMore
Rohith Vemula committed suicide in Hyderabad.
THE JOINT Action Committee for Social Justice, which Friday organised the ‘Inquilab Morcha’ at Azad Maidan was formed after the death of student leader Rohith Vemula. Ever since, the committee has come together for demonstrations, including after the suicides of postgraduate medical student Payal Tadvi and IIT-Madras student Fatima Latheef.
“We are from various educational institutions, including IIT-Bombay, TISS, MU and Samata Kala Manch, who met during demonstrations held for Rohith Vemula. We don’t have any office but meet frequently. We divided ourselves into teams for today’s protest,” said one of the organisers, adding that planning for another protest is underway.
While students of IIT-Bombay performed a play at the protest, students of TISS addressed the protestors. Faculties from a few educational institutions also participated in the protest.
Others included Hammadurr Ahman, a final-year history student from Jamia Millia Islamia, who was part of the peaceful protest at Jamia that had ended with police entering the campus and beating up students on December 15.
Recalling the incident, Ahman said, “I was in Jamia leading the protest outside the gate, and was trying to save the students. I was also hit by lathis. We were demonstrating outside Jamia and were doing it very peacefully. But the police did not allow us. Apart from entering the campus without permission, the police hurled abuses at students. The women hostels were raided by the police...”
“Now, there is anger and fear among students, said Ahman. “The administration is Jamia is supporting the government. They are under a lot of pressure. Our vice-chancellor has been contradicting her statements. She said that police entered the campus without permission, and also that what police did was perhaps right. We will be fighting for her resignation.”
“The hostels have been vacated. Jamia has cancelled two examinations. Only 100 students are left on the campus. Those who have gone home will be back and join the movement. The administration has been trying to intimidate and target Leftist students. Parents are being asked to call back their wards,” Ahman said.
Meanwhile, a Mumbai-based theatre artiste and native of Nagina town in Uttar Pradesh, Waris Ahmed Zaidi, has been told by his parents not to return home despite having a ticket for December 30.
“My parents have confined themselves to our home since a week, even though our house is near the police station in a Muslim mohalla. My brother is studying BTech in Jamia. He had gone home but they are asking me to avoid coming. Many people from my locality have been beaten up and detained,” he said.
