UoH students to boycott judicial panel

The JAC seeks rescheduling of date of hearing as it planned ‘Chalo Delhi’ on Feb 23

Hyderabad: Students of University of Hyderabad (UoH) have decided to boycott the one-man judicial commission appointed to probe the suicide of Vemula Rohith Chakravarti if the commission did not change its hearing dates from February 23. The students took this decision as it was clashing with their scheduled ‘Chalo Delhi’ programme on February 23.

Students alleged that the Union government had announced the schedule of the probe committee hearing in such way that it coincided with their February 23 programme in Delhi. Members of the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice (JAC) which has been spearheading the movement demanding justice for Rohith has said that it would not be available for the commission to submit their version.

A member of the JAC said, “The JAC has already written a letter to the acting vice-chancellor Prof Periasamy to postpone the scheduled commission hearing. If the hearing dates are not postponed, we will not depose before the commission. We want the dates to be scheduled after February 26.”

The Centre for Dalit Studies also demanded that the Central government to re-schedule the hearing dates. Senior journalist Mallepally Laxmaiah, eminent educationist Chukka Ramaiah and united AP former chief secretary Kaki Madhava Rao lamented that when students had planned their ‘Chalo Delhi’ programme what was the purpose of organising a scheduled hearing here. They said students should be included in the hearing, else it would be a one-sided report.

Lakshmaiah alleged that in order to divert Rohith’s suicide issue, the Central government had brought in Jawaharlal Nehru University issue to the surface. It may be noted here that the Union government has constituted a one-man judicial Commission Justice Ashok Kumar Roopanwal (Retd) to probe the suicide UoH Dalit research scholar Rohith. The commission’s hearing is scheduled from February 23 to 25.

Justice Ashok Kumar would enquire into the facts and circumstances leading to the death of Rohith and fix responsibility for the lapses, if any. He would also review the existing grievance redressal mechanism for students at the university and suggest improvements.

The judicial commission would meet representatives of the students unions and associations of teaching and non-teaching staff on February 23. On February 24, it would interact with chief proctor, chief warden and wardens, dean, students’ welfare, officials of equal opportunity cell/SC/ST cell and officials of students’ grievance cell and anti ragging cell.

The enquiry commission will also meet university VC P Appa Rao, acting VC Prof M Periasamy, Registrar, finance officer and any other stake holders on February 25. Besides, the commission sought comments from the stake holders by e-mail uohinquirycommission.ugc@ gmail.com or by post by February 21. The Ministry of Human Resource Development, which constituted the judicial commission, asked a report on the issue within three months.

Meanwhile, the University Grants Commission has changed the venue from UGC’s regional office, Hyderabad, to The Plaza Hotel, Tourism Plaza.