‘Protest affecting daily lives’: IIT-B students divided over hunger strike over student’s suicide

MUMBAI: A difference of opinion has emerged among students of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) over the ongoing protest seeking justice for the second-year student who died on September 18, with one group maintaining that the agitation at the institute’s main gate does not represent the entire student community, while the protesting students insist that their demands reflect wider concerns on campus

MUMBAI: A difference of opinion has emerged among students of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) over the ongoing protest seeking justice for the second-year student who died on September 18, with one group maintaining that the agitation at the institute’s main gate does not represent the entire student community, while the protesting students insist that their demands reflect wider concerns on campus.

‘Protest affecting daily lives’: IIT-B students divided over hunger strike over student’s suicide

The development comes two days after protesting students began a hunger strike demanding action in connection with the student’s death and seeking the resignation of IIT-B director Shireesh B Kedare and professor Suryanarayana Doolla over allegations of caste-based discrimination and harassment.

Both Kedare and Doolla were questioned by the police for several hours last week in connection with the death. Police said the two denied allegations of caste-based discrimination and harassment and maintained that they had followed the stipulated procedure after the student was allegedly caught copying.

In a statement issued on October 4, the Institute General Secretaries, on behalf of the student community, said the IIT-B community was still coping with the student’s death. They said the 18 demands raised following the incident were a collective response that took into account the concerns of more than 1,000 students.

However, the statement drew a distinction between the broader student response and the protest continuing at the main gate. It said only around 10 to 12 students were currently participating in the agitation and argued that they could not be seen as representing the entire student community.

The group also said the continuing protest was affecting the daily lives of students who needed to attend classes, laboratories, examinations, research work and placement-related activities. While acknowledging students’ right to protest, they said it should not disrupt the lives of thousands of students indefinitely.

The statement further said several students were working with the administration on institutional reforms and that these efforts should not be overshadowed by the protest at the main gate. It added that students had organised discussions on mental health, campus democracy, placements and other issues affecting the campus community.

The protesting students, however, rejected the suggestion that they were claiming to represent all students. In their response, they said they had never claimed to speak for the entire student community, but maintained that their demands had emerged from concerns shared by a larger section of students and from long-standing dissatisfaction with the administration.

They also questioned the role of the student council, arguing that it was part of the institute’s structure and therefore could not be considered an independent body representing all students.

The protesters further alleged that the 18-point demands signed by the director did not incorporate some of the key demands raised by students, particularly those concerning accountability. They also alleged that some commitments made by the administration had not been properly implemented.

The students said their protest at Justice Corner near the main gate had continued for 16 days and remained peaceful. They claimed that normal functioning of the institute had not been halted and that vehicular movement through the area continued smoothly.

The protesters said they would continue their agitation until their demands were adequately addressed, maintaining that their objective was not to disrupt the academic activities of other students. Meanwhile, parents of students have continued their hunger strike at Azad Maidan since Monday, extending the agitation beyond the IIT-B campus.