JNU students have begun a parallel hunger strike to protest Rohith Vemula's death.
An fresh batch of seven students resumed the indefinite hunger strike to protest the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula at the Hyderabad Central University or HCU today. Protesting students also began a 'Chalo HCU (Let's go to HCU)' march as the stand-off between the university authorities and protesters entered the second week today.
The march will see groups of students from different universities in the country converging in Hyderabad to protest Mr Vemula's death, student leader LS Biakani told the news agency PTI. A group of students in Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University also began a serial hunger strike yesterday to express solidarity with the protesting students in Hyderabad.
The previous group of seven at Hyderabad was shifted to the hospital on Saturday after three days of the hunger strike. The new batch of students will be put through medical checks today, Dr Ravindra Kumar of the university health centre said.
The protesters are demanding removal of Vice Chancellor P Appa Rao, who has gone on indefinite leave, and passing a "Rohith Act" to prevent suicides of ST, SC, BC and minority students in universities, Mr Biakani said.
Yesterday, a university notice said Prof Rao will be on leave and Vipin Srivastava, the senior most professor, shall perform the duties of the vice-chancellor. It did not mention the period of leave. Reacting to the protest march and hunger strike, Professor Srivastava said today, "The one and only way to move forward is through talks with the students...I have appealed for the same." Two more teachers resigned from their administrative posts today, taking the total number of resignations to 15.
He said his colleagues were trying to reach out to the protesters. "Unfortunately there is no response from the students," he said. The university's decision yesterday to have him officiate in place of Prof Rao had triggered fresh protests.
The SC/ST Faculty Forum and SC/ST Officers Forum had yesterday expressed "shock" over the decision to appoint Prof Srivastava as officiating Vice-Chancellor and alleged that he headed the Executive Council Sub-Committee "which has been responsible for the death of Rohith."