The national media is abuzz with the suicide of Rohith Vemula, a student of the University of Hyderabad (UoH). There are various accounts of the events preceding this unfortunate death and the protests that have ensued. The fact remains, however, that this is the 9th student to commit suicide in this University in the last 10 years, and is one of the numerous suicides by students in higher education institutions including IITs and AIIMS across the country - as many as 18 students since 2007. That all these students belonged to marginalised communities which have been historically oppressed is no coincidence. There exists deep-seated caste-based discrimination in our country’s universities. University administrations seldom make an effort to engage with students from ‘lower’ castes. These students are alienated to an extent which drives some to take such extreme steps.

In the UoH, the Vice Chancellor has not been accessible to the students or faculty in the last five days of intense turmoil. The University of Hyderabad has become a site of heavy police presence instead of being one of knowledge creation and learning.  Seven UoH students are on an indefinite hunger strike since 20th January. Students seeking justice MUST be a matter of urgent priority for the University Administration as well as the State and Central Governments.

We, concerned citizens of the country who believe in the democratic process, want that the Central government intervene substantially in this matter; and hereby make the following demands:

1.       Ensure the suspension of the Vice Chancellor of the University with immediate effect until the judicial process in this case is complete;

2.       Ensure strict implementation of measures to address the issue of caste discrimination and discrimination in institutions of higher learning (such as those made by the committee led by Prof. Faizan Mustafa in Hyderabad in 2013);

3.       Ensure that the case of Rohith Vemula’s suicide is handled with absolute transparency and fairness and the guilty are punished irrespective of their political positions or stature.