Students and staff of Bangalore University (BU) on Wednesday joined the protests against the Supreme Court’s recent order on Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The Karnataka State Universities Teachers’ Council (KSUTC), in a statement, said the court order “defeats, dilutes and undermines the spirit and ethos of the Act and renders it ineffective in protecting the oppressed classes from atrocities and safeguarding their interests, and providing social and natural justice.”
The KSUTC said students, staff and faculty members the university decided to call for a ‘Bangalore University bandh’ for five days from Wednesday. The protesters submitted a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor of the university.
Vice-Chancellor of the university I.S. Shivakumara, however, said he had persuaded the protesters to allow classes to continue, and added that there would not be any bandh from Thursday.
KSUTC president B.C. Mylarappa said, “The Supreme Court order has far-reaching implications on the depressed and oppressed classes in the country. The country has been independent for 70 years but atrocities and violence are still continuing against SCs and STs. Dilution of the provisions of the Act defeats the very purpose of protecting the interests of SCs and STs. We have sent a memorandum to the President and various heads of the government demanding justice.”
