The Struggle Committee for Justice for Mudasir Kamran from the English and Foreign Languages University (Eflu) has addressed a letter to President Pranab Mukharjee, asking for a judicial inquiry into the death of Mudasir Kamran, a research scholar who hanged himself in his hostel room on March 2.
The letter dated March 14, was signed by 18 Eflu students, and attached with a fact-finding report of the struggle committee and minutes of the meeting held by the Teachers Front for Justice and Democracy.
The committee also demanded suspension of the Proctor and the Vice-Chancellor of the university, expressing fears that their continuing in the respective positions will hamper the judicial inquiry.
The letter alleged distortion of facts, and spreading of rumours and falsehoods by the university administration against the deceased student, to avoid fixing liability on the university officials. Although an FIR is registered against the Proctor following students’ complaint, no action has been taken by the police, they alleged. Expressing their lack of faith in the internal enquiries ordered by Vice-Chancellor, they alleged that there is more than mere negligence on the part of the university administration.
Mudasir’s was fourth death on Eflu campus in its five years as central university, the letter recounted. Three of the deaths were suicides, and three of the deceased belonged to Dalit, OBC and Minority sections respectively.
Students also demanded compensation to Mudasir’s family, structural changes and institutional support systems to be established to address the emotional and psychological needs of the students, with emphasis on those from minority, and backward communities or conflict regions.
Copies of the letter were also marked to Minister for Human Resources Development Pallam Raju, UGC chairman Ved Prakash, and V-C Sunaina Singh.
Meanwhile, a fact-finding team from Bahujan Intellectual Collective demanded suspension of the V-C Sunaina Singh and Proctor Harish Vijra.
Coordinator of the Collective A. Sudhakar demanded separate committees to hear grievances of the students from underprivileged backgrounds, and inclusion of members from LGBT communities to hear gender-related complaints. He also asked for students’ representatives to be allowed to hear the meetings of the enquiry committees.
