Scholar suicide: Protests, hunger-strike continue in JNU, over 50 detained

Over 50 JNU students were detained near Shastri Bhawan on Thursday by the Delhi Police when they tried to camp near the ministry, in protest against the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula.

Kanhaiya Kumar, the president of Jawahar Lal Nehru University Student’s Union and one of the 50 students detained said: “Our fight is against the government over its high handedness and intolerant nature. We want justice for Rohith Vemula and our demands are well-known.” Kanhaiya also complained of the callous attitude shown by the Delhi Police towards the protesting students.

January 28 also marked the first day when Kanhaiya along with Shehla Rashid, the vice-president of JNUSU, Chintu, Devesh, Dipsita and Umar started their indefinite hunger-strike. Before this, the other JNU students including Lenin, Shubhanshu and Suchisree reached their sixth day of indefinite hunger-strike.

The students are demanding sacking and arresting of University of Hyderabad Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao and also BJP Member of Parliament Bandaru Dattatreya, implementation of Thorat committee report, special session of Parliament to discuss caste-based discrimination in universities and initiation of empowerment that ensures  equal opportunity in educational institutes.

Lenin, who has been fasting for the past six days, said: “We are committed in our cause and we would want justice for Rohith and for many other students who face discrimination.” When asked that what steps are being taken by the administration towards their fast, Lenin said the status of our health is being asked  by the Vice-Chancellor and there is also a medical team that has been deployed for the same. 

150 protesting students, who were detained on Wednesday and went on an indefinite hunger-strike at Parliament Street police station, dispersed to JNU on Thursday and the protest venue near the HRD Ministry. They, however, continued with their hunger-strike.