More than two months after he went on leave following Rohith Vemula’s suicide on campus, Hyderabad Central University vice chancellor Appa Rao resumed office in the strong protests by students who blamed him for the ‘institutional killing’ of the Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula.
Police entered in campus and brutally attacked students and faculties. They arrested students leaders. Faculty members verbally abused and two Prof K Y Ratnam, Prof Tathagata Sengupta picked up by police.As students told us , Male police brutally grabbed, molested, tossed and beat female students and faculties alike. Female faculties were grabbed by their hair and dragged into vans. Male students were swept inside the van and were beaten without mercy.
Apart from the protests and violence at students there would struggle for food on Tuesday night as 750 Non-Teaching Staff of the University decided to shut down 14 Men’s and Women’s Students Mess, expressing support to the VC.
Vaikhari Aryat , a Dalit student activist in HCU wrote in Facebook.
” University cut off our internet facility since forenoon. There’s no drinking water available in mess, no dining hall opened anymore and internet blackout too. This is going really well VC. You have got us starved, thirsty and alienated from reaching out to outside world! Around 30 students are arrested (we are yet to confirm the numbers even) and 3 faculty members are taken into custody along with them. Students say police were shouting ‘Muslims are terrorists’ while beating up students.
In other news, media people were busy reporting ‘vandalism by protesters’ that they didn’t find enough time to cover police hooligans beating up and molesting students and faculties alike! We condemn the malicious lie spread by media that protesters vandalized VC’s lodge. It was ABVP which barricaded VC’s lodge from rest of the students with furniture and created unnecessary tensions shouting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ at us while protecting killer Appa Rao Podile. They were the ones who actually vandalized the place, thereby. Also, police did stop people who were filming their brutality, beat them up and even broke cameras. A police man in mufti was shouting rape threats at female students all the while beating them up.
Maturity police issues rape threats, makes racist and sexist comments at students and brutally attacks students and faculty members physically! ”
Mehjabin , a masters student at university says in FB.
” There is no food in the mess since workers have been co-opted by the administration (can say bribed). Also , there is no internet connection here to post the videos or images live from the campus . We got information that from tomorrow onwards they will stop electricity and water… Sanghi goons do whatever! We know that you are trying to destroy the students unity here,by stopping the water supply, electricity or whatever ways!! But you can’t win over us.
STUDENTS UNITED SHALL ALWAYS BE VICTORIOUS!
Universty will remain shut till Appa rao is arrested. ”
