Rohith Vemula's suicide exposes all of us as a nation, argues Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
When it came to dealing with the media and academia, it has been a roller coaster ride for the National Democratic Alliance, observes Nitin Sethi.
Nelli Praveen Kumar, aged about 25, a first semester student of Master of Fine Arts course of Department of Fine Arts, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, was found hanging from ceiling in the room at about 4.15 am
The joint action committee members for social justice at Hyderabad Central University, on Saturday blocked the main gate of the varsity protesting removal of makeshift tents near the shopping complex on the campus.
The board at AIIMS including members belonging to SC/ST said Krishnan died due to asphyxia and no injury mark was found on the body.
A senior official said that Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje gave the direction in this regard to the home department yesterday following which remarks of the director general of police were sought on Wednesday.
Chief Medical Officer M Rajshree, who confirmed Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's death, has rebuffed Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani's claims in Parliament, saying she had reached the scene in three-five minutes.
TMC MP Professor Sugata Bose spoke eloquently on the topic of nationalism vs the freedom to dissent, whilst presenting a balanced view on the need to protect constitutional freedoms.
Holding a 'padyatra' in drought-hit Bundelkhand, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he should think about farmers and labourers too and not just industrialists and give more funds for the backward region.
Scores of students gathered at VC's lodge after learning that Podile was holding a press conference to announce that he was going to resume charge on Tuesday.
'The corporate world and the private sector economy take notice of the monstrous and apartheid like division that exists in our offices. The jobs we so casually take for granted in the upper class have come to us on the back of denial to others,' says Aakar Patel.
Hyderabad Central University VS Appa Rao on Wednesday asserted there had been "no pressure" from Union ministers or the HRD ministry to act against the youth.
Fresh protests erupted on the University of Hyderabad campus on Tuesday over the alleged suicide by Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula even as members of a social outfit tried to hold a demonstration outside the residence of Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who has been accused in the suicide case.
'Think about how he would have handled Hyderabad, and JNU. He would have been very cross if he found two of his Cabinet ministers weighing in on the side of the ABVP.' 'And if Rohith Vemula still killed himself, he would have been the first to speak out in anguish and empathy rather than deny he was a Dalit.' 'And JNU, he would have simply said something like, 'let the boys speak, then they will grow up and join the IAS).' 'A good idea, when in crisis, is to apply the 'Vajpayee test' to your actions,' says Shekhar Gupta.
The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice of HCU appealed to the students to use blue ribbons as a means of protest, declaration and reminder of the fact that 'our fight is still on' while going about classes, labs and other activities.
Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Wednesday alleged the government flared up the issue of JNU to divert people's attention from the Rohit Vemula's suicide issue and subsequent developments.
'Kanhaiya Kumar and others of his ilk are now out on bail. But what about the NIT 'anti-nationals'?' asks Amulya Ganguli.
Faculty members are also continuing in the administrative position.
Hyderabad Central University says it had taken a 'lenient view' by not imposing 'complete suspension' of the five research scholars, including the Dalit PhD student who committed suicide.
Speaking to the media a day after he was released from Tihar Jail after he was charged for sedition, Kanhaiya thanked everyone who supported him and alleged that a conspiracy was afoot to malign the JNU campus and its students.
Returning to JNU campus on his release from jail three weeks after his arrest, Kanhaiya Kumar said they are seeking freedom within the country and not from India.
A total of 16 bills, including the GST Bill, Lokpal (Amendment) Bill, Factories (Amendment) Bill and the Anti-Hijacking Bill are pending in Parliament -- five in Lok Sabha and 11 in the Rajya Sabha.
Backing the agitating students of the Hyderabad university, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday called the suicide of a Dalit research scholar at the premier institute a "national shame" and accused the Centre of trying to indulge in "casteist politics".
Although the authorities had maintained till the last minute that Mevani and his supporters did not have permission to hold the event, it seems the rally organisers and Delhi Police reached a compromise later.
The Aam Aadmi Party government on Tuesday informed the Delhi high court that the brother of Hyderabad University Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, who had committed suicide, is not interested in taking up the job offered to him on compassionate grounds.
"The JNUSU rejects the punishment handed down by the administration on the basis of a farcical committee!" Kanhaiya tweeted.
HRD Minister Smriti Irani was again in the line of fire in the Lok Sabha with opposition members forcing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to allow them to speak on their notice for the privilege motion against the minister.
Friends and family of Rohith Vemula, the Hyderabad university PhD scholar who committed suicide, on Friday said that they would 'expose the lies' of HRD Minister Smriti Irani .
Varsity security personnel, who yesterday stopped entry of three Kerala MPs and social activist Teesta Setalvad into the campus, on Friday prevented Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav and others from entering the campus.
The students should think only about their career, studies, classes, minor examinations and semester examinations, and should not be deterred by any advice or persuasion to the contrary, the VC said.
Former ABVP member Pradeep Narwal, who resigned from the party earlier this week, has appealed to PM Modi to ensure "security" and "respect" to all the university students.
Vemula's mother Radhika, sister Neelima and brother Raju, who visited the campus, demanded that "those responsible for his death" be brought to book.
The HCU on Thursday revoked the suspension of four Dalit students against whom action was taken along with another research scholar Rohith Vemula Chakravarthi.
ABVP leader Nandanam Susheel Kumar, who has been accused of abetting suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula, demanded a "fair" inquiry.
Sparks flew in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday as the raging Jawaharlal Nehru University row and suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemula was taken up for discussion, with opposition accusing the government of muzzling the voice of the youth and "mercilessly crushing" the principles of democracy.
The BSP supremo also ridiculed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for "not taking cognisance" of suicides by Dalit students when his party was in power.
The duty doctor at the University of Hyderabad health centre today appeared to contradict the claim of HRD Minister Smriti Irani that no doctor was allowed near the body of research scholar Rohith Vemula on the day he had died either to revive him or remove him to hospital.
The SC and ST Teachers Forum said in a statement that its members would go on a hunger strike from Thursday to press for the resignation of VC Appa Rao and the interim VC 'in order to resume academic and administrative activities'.
Protesters raised slogans whilst attempting to disrupt the prime minister's address at the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Lucknow.
'Teachers discriminate among students based on caste, religion and gender,' says Dr Rajesh Paswan, an associate professor at JNU.
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