By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) is on edge, once a sprawling active campus is giving a desolate or appropriately a ‘Kashmiri look.’ Whole campus is locked down for continuous four days. This has now been increased for two more days by student groups who are protesting against the suicide of a Kashmiri Ph.D. student, Mudassir Kamran.
All the student groups in the campus (except rightist ABVP and leftist DSU) are on sit-on strike in front of Vice-Chancellor’s office for past three days. Student groups are demanding immediate suspension of the university officials who allegedly took Mudassir to police station, and they are also demanding representation in the fact finding committee formed by university administration.
Protest posters at locked university library
In the home state of Mudassir, Kashmir an emergency like situation is being witnessed where violent protest broke down after rumors spread that Mudassir took that extreme step after police tortured him in the custody. So far two people have died in those protests across Kashmir valley.
Kotesh, a Telangana student leader who was a close friend of Mudassir, said that University administration was so panicked by the suicide of Mudassir due to their alleged wrong doings, that they called four buses full of police battalions on the very first day of student strike.
Friends of Mudassir said that he and his close friend and roommate Waseem from Pune was having some problem for last three months. Waseem complained about some problem to the Proctor, who in turn called Mudassir. His friends allege Proctor also abused Mudassir.
Civil society members speaking with the students in the campus
Proctor Harish Vijra allegedly called him a rascal and mentally harassed and told him that he needs ‘police counseling’. His friends allege Proctor personally went to the police station to complain against Mudassir.
Police came to his hostel and picked him up. After few hours of counseling when he was released, his friends said Mudassir was depressed and told one of his friends that ‘why am I being treated as a criminal?’ The same night he was found hanging in his room.
One of his friends broke down in tears, as he explained the circumstances that drove him to commit suicide.
His friends describe Mudassir as a young man who loved to get socialized. He was active in cricket and organized a cricket tournament in the university. He also supported Telangana agitation in the university and mad some close friends during that period.
Mudassir’s friend addressing protest meeting
Student leaders have given a representation to the University administration stating some demands. They have demanded 20 lakh compensation for Mudassir’s family, free education for his two young sisters, and government employment for one member of his family.
They are also demanding immediate suspension of University Proctor Harish Vijra and representation in the fact finding committee which is probing his suicide.
Student leaders alleged that university administration is taking this issue in triviality and VC office allegedly even lost the original representation memo. Student leaders said University administration was only ‘gratuitous’ enough to allot his body disposal charges.
Posters at administrative building
But student leaders also reiterated that compensation is a secondary objective and that their primary demand is criminal proceedings against all those who are guilty of pushing Mudassir to the extreme step.
University students including foreigners are protesting outside VC office, while some are organizing candle light vigils want to make it a last case of suicide in the campus. Earlier they were two more cases of suicide in EFLU before Mudassir.
‘Mudassir was homosexual, break up from his partner reason for his suicide’: Vice Chancellor
University administration on the other hand keeps their stand firm that the extreme step taken by Mudassir was purely personal out of emotional distress and no one from the university administration has anything to do with it.
Vice chancellor of EFLU Prof. Suniana Singh speaking to a fact finding committee consisting of different civil rights group said that it is crisis situation for the University as, according to her, it is now being hijacked by “student mob.”
VC also alleged that student mob allegedly stopped the university administration in taking part in the condolence meeting.
While speaking to the members of fact finding committee, VC said she wants to put facts straight about Mudassir. Prof. Singh said that although a bright young student, Mudassir had some personal problems. She also alleged that Mudassir was a homosexual and was obsessed with Waseem, his partner. Due to some internal differences Waseem broke up with Mudassir and changed his room.
Protesting students outside VC office
According to VC, a possessive Mudassir wanted Waseem back with him and even attacked him some times and once even tried to strangulate him.
Vice Chancellor said time and again that the University administration warned him against attacking Waseem but Mudassir used to get agitated by administration interference in his personal affair.
Prof. Singh also said, “Waseem, along with 20 of his friends went to police station to file a complaint of sodomy against Mudassir. So the Proctor had to intervene and accompanied students to the station to console them not to make it a police case.” Standing by the Proctor, VC said that he was just doing his duty.
So the VC clearly rooted out any possibility of University administration high handiness in dealing with Mudassir’s case and termed the suicide act of Mudassir an ultimate deed after not getting his partner back.
Students sitting at locked university library
On the issue of getting students in the fact finding committee, Prof. Sunaina Singh said there are no elected student leaders in the campus, so administration cannot cherry pick students for the committee.
Vice Chancellor also refuted the allegation of students of calling police battalions in the campus. VC said that she is trying her best to keep police out of the campus.
Hyderabad Police has refuted Kashmiri leaders’ allegation that Mudassir was physically tortured.
Meanwhile, DCP east zone Vijayalakshmi, addressing the press on the suicide case of Mudassir which has now led to violent clashes in Kashmir, reiterated stand of the University administration. She also gave clean chit to the police by stating that police didn’t indulge in physical or mental torture of the victim.
DCP said that Mudassir was called to the station after complain of sodomy was filed by his partner Waseem and 20 other students. DCP, in the full glare of media repeated what university administration was saying about Mudassir’s character. DCP rejected the claims of Kashmiri separatist leaders alleging Mudassir was tortured in the police custody and also of the EFLU student leaders that he was humiliated in the station.
She reiterated Mudassir committed suicide because of the personal reasons of breaking up relationship with his partner Waseem.
University wall protesting posters
Character assassination claims EFLU students
But students of EFLU refuted the allegations of the University administration and the Police. They alleged that police and administration is indulging in character assassination of the deceased as it has now become a national issue.
EFLU students said that University administration is indulging in cheap politics as Mudassir is not there to defend himself, and Waseem has not been spotted in the campus after the incident. One of the Ph.D. student said that he enquired about this allegation about Mudassir from his close friends but no one was ready to accept it.
EFLU students also challenged the university administration to present the names of 20 students who according to them accompanied Waseem to the station. They said Mudassir and Waseem were close friends but completely trashed the homosexuality angle.
They, however, agreed that Mudassir was emotionally distressed when Waseem had broken their friendship and they did have a small fight. Some friends of Waseem said that after the death of Mudassir, he got scared and has since disappeared from the campus.
EFLU student leaders said that if University administration is concentrating on his alleged homosexuality, than they also have to undertake that Mudassir was distressed after Afzal Guru’s hanging. And five cops coming in his hostel room to take a Kashmiri Muslim student to the station in a police jeep must have felt something emotionally.
EFLU student leaders said they will continue their strike and lock out of university till the guilty members of University administration get suspended.