Last Update: February 16, 2023, 11:33 IST
Two suicides were reported this week at IIT-Bombay and IIT-Madras (Representational image)
Shaken by the two tragic deaths in three days, the student-members of the All India Students Federation-MGAHV Unit have submitted a memorandum addressed to President Draupadi Murmu through the registrar of the university.
Students of the Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya (MGAV) here have urged the Center to enact a ‘Rohith Vemula Act’ to protect scholars from marginalized communities and prevent campus suicides, as witnessed by IITs this week. Reported in Bombay and IIT-Madras. on Wednesday.
student-members of all India Shaken by the two tragic deaths in three days, the Students’ Union-MGAHV unit has submitted a memorandum addressed to President Draupadi Murmu through the registrar of the university.
A delegation of AISF President Chandan Saroj, Secretary Jatin Chowdhary and other office bearers Niranjan Kumar, Atul Singh, Vishal Kumar, Gautam Prakash and others met the MGAHV Registrar and requested him to send their memorandum to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
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“Since 2016, students’ bodies across India have been urging the government to enact a draconian ‘Rohith Vemula Act’ on the lines of the Nirbhaya Act, to protect students from disadvantaged communities living and studying on campuses in the country ” Saroj said.
Chowdhary said Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar belonging to OBC, committed suicide at the University of Hyderabad in January 2017, apparently due to caste discrimination and harassment, leading to nationwide protests in educational campuses.
The AISF-MGAHV memorandum to the President cites two latest incidents – on February 12, Darshan R. Solanki’s suicide and Navi Mumbai student Stephen S. The hanging of Alapat, 24, at IIT-M on February 14, besides the suicide attempt of another student at IIT-M, is now undergoing treatment in Chennai.
It has also cited reports pointing to alleged caste bias and harassment of the two students, which caused them extreme mental anguish, which led them to take the extreme step.
Chaudhary and Saroj said that such cases of suicide of students are increasing in major educational institutions of national importance, which is not a pleasant sign in a democracy but a matter of concern.
Keeping this in mind, he urged the President that ‘Rohith Vemula Act’ should be enacted to prevent such tragedies and avoid exploitation of students from backward communities at all levels in campuses and in the academic world.
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