Dr. C. Rangarajan,
Chancellor
University of Hyderabad
Dear Dr. Rangarajan,
We have learnt with dismay about the attack by the police on students at the University of Hyderabad on 22 March, 2016. We understand that there may have been acts of destruction by some of the students, and we strongly condemn such acts. It is arguable whether it was necessary to call the police to deal with the students. However, having called the police, the administration of the University should have ensured that the police force did not make a brutal assault on the students. The Vice Chancellor and the administration of the University failed in this respect, as the ensuing heavy-handed police action proves. We strongly condemn the attack by the police, and the failure of the administration of the University to prevent it. We would like to make the following points about the immediate repercussions of the events of the 22nd:
1. Several students and two members of the faculty of the University have been detained by the police. We request you, and the administration of the University, to take every possible measure to secure their release, and to get them back to the University at the earliest.
2. Some students were injured in the police action, and have been receiving medical treatment at the University’s Health Centre, and in private clinics and hospitals. We urge that all available help be extended to these students, and we request you to ensure their well-being.
3. We understand that some students who have been protesting are worried about their future in the university, and fear retribution from the administration. It is imperative that their fears be assuaged, and that students are not penalised for legitimately voicing their political opinions, or for challenging the University establishment.
4. There was no food or water in the student hostels, and the connection between the University campus and the Internet was closed down, for two days after the 22nd. This is a form of collective punishment. We condemn it, and ask the administration of the University to see that such acts of punishment do not recur.
We have the following points to make in the general context of the stormy events at the University:
1. The direct cause of the events on the 22nd was the resumption of office by P. Appa Rao, the Vice Chancellor of the University. A judicial enquiry has been initiated by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, into the events around Rohith Vemula’s suicide, and Prof. Appa Rao is one of the central figures in those events. There is a case against him under the SC/ST Atrocities Act, and another under the laws relating to abetting a suicide. In these circumstances, it is utterly inappropriate for him to occupy the office of the Vice Chancellor of the University, and we demand that he relinquish that office forthwith.
2. There has been almost no progress in the police cases against Prof. Appa Rao, whereas the police have been quick to act on the protesting students. We demand that this imbalance be redressed, and that the cases against Prof. Appa Rao be speedily brought to their logical conclusion.
3. The protest by the students on the 22nd grew out of the events that led to Mr. Vemula’s suicide. Issues of systematic injustice against Dalits, and of attempts by certain groups of students of the University to disrupt the activities of students whose opinions they oppose, have repeatedly surfaced in the discourse following Mr. Vemula’s suicide. We ask the administration of the University to seriously address these issues.
4. A troubling feature of the events at the University is the frequent reliance of the administration of the University on the police apparatus. We feel that the police have no place in an academic campus, and should be called upon only in rare circumstances. We, therefore, request you to have the police removed from the campus of the University. The University of Hyderabad is one of the important educational centres of the country. For that reason, we hope that you, and the administration of the University, will do everything to provide the students of the University the freedom, and the consideration, that are a distinguishing feature of a great academic institution.
Yours sincerely,
1. A. P. Balachandran, Syracuse University, Emeritus faculty
2. Abani K. Bhuyan, University of Hyderabad, Faculty
3. Abha Dev Habib, Miranda House (University of Delhi), Faculty
4. Abhijit Majumder, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
5. Abhishek Atreya, Physical Research Laboratory, Postdoctoral fellow
6. Aditya Nigam, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Fellow
7. Angelie Multani, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Faculty
8. Anindya Sarkar, Bangabasi Morning College (University of Calcutta), Faculty
9. Anirban Kundu, University of Calcutta, Faculty
10. Akavoor Manu, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Research scholar
11. Alka Acharya, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
12. Alladi Sitaram, Indian Statistical Institute, Retired faculty
13. Alok Laddha, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Faculty
14. Alok Maharana, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Faculty
15. Amarjit Kundu, Santipur College (University of Kalyani), Faculty
16. Amber Habib, Shiv Nadar University, Faculty
17. Ameet Parameswaran, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
18. Amitabh Joshi, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Faculty
19. Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Faculty
20. Ananthu James, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Researchscholar
21. Ananyo Maitra, Laboratory of Theoretical Physics and Statistical Models, Paris, Researcher
22. Anindita Bera, University of Calcutta, Research scholar
23. Anindita Bidisha Chatterjee, Wildlife Institute of India, Research scholar
24. Anindita Brahma, Indian Institute of Science, Research scholar
25. Anindya Bhattacharya, University of York, Faculty
26. Anindya Datta, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
27. Anirban Kar, Delhi School of Economics, Faculty
28. Ankan Paul, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Faculty
29. Anuj Menon, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Research scholar
30. Anupama Potluri, University of Hyderabad, Faculty
31. Anwesa Bhattacharya, Indian Institute of Science, Research associate
32. Apoorva Nagar, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Faculty
33. Archana Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
34. Archana S. Morye, University of Hyderabad, Faculty
35. Aritra Banerjee, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Research scholar
36. Arnab Rai Choudhuri, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
37. Arpan Kundu, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
38. Arya Suman Mishra, Seth G. S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, Specialty Medical Officer
39. Avinash Kumar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
40. Ashoke Sen, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Faculty
41. Atul Chokshi, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
42. Aurnab Ghose, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, Faculty
43. Avishek Konar, Observer Research Foundation, Associate fellow
44. Ayesha Kidwai, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
45. B. Ananthanarayan, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
46. Bhanu Pratap Das, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, Faculty
47. Bidisa Das, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Scientist
48. C. M. Chandrashekar, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty
49. C. S. Rajan, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Faculty
50. Chandan Singh Dalawat, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Faculty
51. Chandra Kant Mishra, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Postdoctoral fellow
52. D. C. V. Mallik, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Faculty
53. D. Surya Ramana, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Faculty
54. Darius Vasco K¨oster, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Postdoctoral fellow
55. Debasis Mondal, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Research scholar
56. Debjani Sengupta, Indraprastha College for Women (University of Delhi), Faculty
57. Deepak Kumar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
58. Dileep Jatkar, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Faculty
59. Dinesh Mohan, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Retired faculty
60. Dipankar, TREELabs Foundation, Chief scientist
61. E. Arunan, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
62. Enakshi Bhattacharya, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Faculty
63. Faraz Ahmed Inam, Aligarh Muslim University, Faculty
64. Fazlay Ahmed, Jamia Millia Islamia, Research Scholar
65. Feroz M. H. Musthafa, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms, Technology manager
66. G. Arunima, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
67. G. Vijay, University of Hyderabad, Faculty
68. Garga Chatterjee, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, Faculty
69. Gaurav Mendiratta, Indian Institute of Science, Research scholar
70. Gautam Gangopadhyay, University of Calcutta, Faculty
71. Girish Kumar Chakravarty, Physical Research Laboratory, Postdoctoral fellow
72. Gita Chadha, University of Mumbai, Faculty
73. Gopal Guru, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
74. Indra Balachandran, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Albany, NY, Retired faculty
75. Indraneel Dasgupta, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, Faculty
76. Jayati Ghosh, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
77. Joby Joseph, University of Hyderabad, Faculty
78. Joseph Samuel, Raman Research Institute, Faculty
79. Jenny Sulfath, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Research scholar
80. Jishnu Dey, Presidency University, Guest faculty
81. Jyoti Dalal, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Research scholar
82. K. Ramakrishnan, TIPS Global, Adviser
83. Kallol Paul, TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Research scholar
84. Kannan U. M., Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Research scholar
85. Karan Namdeorao Khirade, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Research scholar
86. Karen Gabriel, St. Stephen’s College (University of Delhi), Faculty
87. Kaushik Bhattacharya, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Faculty
88. Kishor V. Salunkhe, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Research scholar
89. Koel Das, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Faculty
90. Krishnendu Sengupta, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Faculty
91. Kuntal Ghosh, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, Faculty
92. Lalit Shukla, Physical Research Laboratory, Research Scholar
93. Lyla Mehta, Institute of Development Studies, UK, and Noragric, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty
94. M. V. Ramana, Princeton University, Faculty
95. Madhusudhan Raman, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
96. Mahan Mj, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Faculty
97. Maitreyee Saha Sarkar, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Faculty
98. Malancha Ta, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, Faculty
99. Maneesh Thakur, Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi, Faculty
100. Md. Shah Alam, Jamia Millia Islamia, Research scholar
101. Md. Wali Hossain, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Postdoctoral Fellow
102. Mihir Pandey, Ramjas College (University of Delhi), Faculty
103. Mrinmoy Mukherjee, TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Research Scholar
104. N. Raghavendra, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Faculty
105. Nandita Narain, St. Stephen’s College (University of Delhi), Faculty
106. Nandu Gopan, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Research associate,
107. Narayanan Menon, TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Hyderabad, Faculty
108. Naresh Dadhich, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Emeritus faculty
109. Naveen Gaur, Dyal Singh College (University of Delhi), Faculty
110. Neelima Gupte, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Faculty
111. Neera Singh, University of Toronto, Canada, Faculty
112. Nihav Dhawale, National Centre for Biological Sciences and Yale University, Research scholar
113. Nirmalya Kajuri, IIT Madras, Postdoctoral fellow
114. Nissim Kanekar, National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, TIFR, Pune, Faculty
115. Nivedita Menon, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
116. Nur Jaman, Jamia Millia Islamia, Research scholar
117. Oindrila Deb, Indian Institute of Science, Research scholar
118. P. Damani, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
119. Padmini Swaminathan, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, Faculty
120. Parameswaran Sankaran, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty
121. Parasar Mohanty, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Faculty
122. Parswa Nath Student, TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Research scholar
123. Partha Pratim Roy, South Point High School, Kolkata, Teacher
124. Partho Sarothi Ray, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Faculty
125. Pinaki Banerjee, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
126. Pinaki Chaudhuri, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty
127. Prabhu Nott, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
128. Pradipta Bandyopadhyay, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
129. Pratik Majumdar, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Faculty
130. Pratiksha Baxi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
131. Procheta Mallik, Innovation and Science Promotion Foundation, Researcher
132. Pradeepkumar P. I., Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
133. Prajval Shastri, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Faculty
134. Pranav P. Manangath, University of Western Ontario, Canada, Research scholar
135. Prasenjit Sen, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Faculty
136. Prathyusha K. R., University of Dundee, Postdoctoral fellow
137. Proteep Mallik, Azim Premji University, Faculty
138. Pulak Banerjee, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
139. Qamar Nasir Usmani, Jamia Millia Islamia, Faculty
140. Rahul Pandey, Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, Visiting faculty
141. Rahul Siddharthan, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty
142. Rahul Varman, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Faculty
143. Rajat Tandon, University of Hyderabad, Faculty
144. Rajesh Gopakumar, International Center for Theoretical Sciences, Faculty
145. Ramesh Bairy T. S., Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
146. Ramesh Sreekantan, Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore, Faculty
147. Ranjani Mazumdar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
148. Ravi Kunjwal, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
149. Rekha Pappu, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, Faculty
150. Remya Nair, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Postdoctoral fellow
151. Resmi Lekshmi, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Faculty
152. Rita Mazumdar, Ranchi Women’s College, Retired faculty
153. Rohan D’ Souza, Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Faculty
154. Rukmini Dey, International Center for Theoretical Sciences, Faculty
155. Rupali Gangopadhyay, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Researcher
156. Rusa Mandal, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
157. S. Akshay, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
158. S. Durga Bhavani, University of Hyderabad, Faculty
159. S. G. Dani, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
160. Sabiha Majumder, Indian Institute of Science, Student
161. Sachindeo Vaidya, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
162. Saikat Ghosh, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Faculty
163. Saman Habib, Central Drug Research Institute, Senior Principal Scientist
164. Sanket Haque, Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Trainee
165. Saptarshi Pal, University of Calcutta, Research Scholar
166. Samriddhi Sankar Ray, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Faculty
167. Sandeep Krishna, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Faculty
168. Satadal Ganguly, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, Faculty
169. Satyajit Chowdhury, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Research scholar
170. Saumyajit Bhattacharya, Kirori Mal College (University of Delhi), Faculty
171. Seshadri Sridhar, Raman Research Institute, Faculty
172. Shahana Bhattacharya, University of Delhi, Faculty
173. Shambhavi Prakash, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
174. Sharath Jose, TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Research scholar
175. Sharmila Purkayastha, Miranda House (University of Delhi), Faculty
176. Sharmila Sreekumar, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
177. Shiva Shankar, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Faculty
178. Shubha Tewari, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Faculty
179. Sibasish Ghosh, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty
180. Siddharth K. J., Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, Research scholar
181. Simona Sawhney, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Faculty
182. Sirisha Naidu, Wright State University, Faculty
183. Siva Athreya, Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore, Faculty
184. Somnath Basu, R. K. M. Vivekananda University, Faculty
185. Soumya Das, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
186. Souvik Mandal, Indian Institute of Science, Research scholar
187. Sridipta Ghatak, Jadavpur University
188. Srikanth Sastry, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Faculty
189. Subhashis Banerjee, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Faculty
190. Subhradip Ghosh, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Faculty
191. Subhro Bhattacharjee, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Faculty
192. Subiman Kundu, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Faculty
193. Sudip Kumar Haldar, Physical Research Laboratory, Postdoctoral fellow
194. Sudipta Bandyopadhyay, University of Calcutta, Faculty
195. Sudipto Muhuri, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Faculty
196. Sugata Ray, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Faculty
197. Suman Ganguli, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Postdoctoral fellow
198. Sumathi Rao, Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Faculty
199. Sumati Surya, Raman Research Institute, Faculty
200. Sumilan Banerjee, Weizmann Institute of Science, Postdoctoral fellow
201. Sumit Kumar, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Postdoctoral fellow
202. Sumithra Sankaran, Indian Institute of Science, Research scholar
203. Sundar Sarukkai, Manipal University, Faculty
204. Supratik Chakraborty, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
205. Supratim Sengupta, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Faculty
206. Suramya T. K., Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Research scholar
207. Suresh Devasahayam, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Faculty
208. Suresh Govindarajan, Indian Insitute of Technology Madras, Faculty
209. Susmita Sarkar, University of Calcutta, Faculty
210. Sushmita Venugopalan, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Visiting faculty
211. Sutirtha Dutta, Wildlife Institute of India, Project scientist
212. Suvrat Raju, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Faculty
213. Swagato Sanyal, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Research scholar
214. T. N. C. Vidya, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Faculty fellow
215. T. R. Govindarajan, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Faculty
216. Tabish Qureshi, Jamia Millia Islamia, Faculty
217. Tamoghna Das, NIST and University of Maryland, CNST-UM fellow
218. Taniya Mandal Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Research scholar
219. Tanmay Deshpande, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Faculty
220. Tanmay Mitra, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
221. Trisha Nath, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
222. U. K. Anandavardhanan, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Faculty
223. Upayan Baul, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Research scholar
224. V. R. Padmawar, Indian Statistical Institute, Faculty
225. V. S. Sunder, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty
226. Varuni Prabhakar, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Postdoctoral fellow
227. Venu Madhav Govindu, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
228. Vijay Ravikumar, Chennai Mathematical Institute, Faculty
229. Vikas Bajpai, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
230. Vikram Vyas, St. Stephens College (University of Delhi), Faculty
231. Vinay Kumar Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Faculty
232. Vipul Vivek, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Postgraduate student
233. Vishnu T. R., Chennai Mathematical Institute, Research scholar
234. Vishwesha Guttal, Indian Institute of Science, Faculty
235. Yogish I. Holla, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Faculty
236. Zaheer Ahmed Sayeed, Brain Sciences
237. Zoya Hasan, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Emeritus faculty
The signatories are listed in the alphabetical order of their names. Institutional affiliations of the signatories are given only for purposes of identification, and do not indicate the official positions of these organisations.
