BBAU officials throw out ill dalit student’s medicines
LUCKNOW: A critically ill dalit student of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), suffering from liver cirrhosis, was allegedly forced to vacate his room by the university officials on Thursday.
The university administration threw out all his medicines and ultrasound reports in order to get the room vacated, the student claimed. Sumit Kumar, the M Sc forensic science student at BBAU, is among eight dalit students who were rusticated by the university on Thursday (September 8) for allegedly beating up a professor a day earlier.
Speaking to HT, Sumit said, “The university officials threw out all my medicines, ultrasound reports and other belongings without showing any mercy. They were so heartless that they did not even bother to inform me. On Thursday, they simply uploaded the order of my rustication (with seven others) and threw away all my belongings from the room in my absence.”
On September 7 (Wednesday), a group of dalit students surrounded Prof Kamal Jaiswal and thrashed him for using casteist remark against them and misbehaving with university registrar Sunita Chandra over a period of time. Chandra is a sympathizer of dalit students. Assistant registrar AR Sahu was also beaten up when he came to the rescue of Jaiswal.
On late Wednesday night, Jaiswal lodged an FIR against six identified and other students at Aashiana police station under section 454/216, under 147, 323, 504, 506 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code. On Thursday, proctorial board held an emergency meeting and decided to rustice eight dalit students from the university and were removed from the hostel. Rooms were vacated and their belongings were kept outside their room.
According to Sumit, he was not present at the scene of the incident on Wednesday night when some students beat up a professor. “I was not present there on Wednesday when the professor was beaten up. I was wrongly implicated in the case. The next day, they threw away all my belongings from the room without informing me. The university is biased against dalit students,” claimed the student who is putting up outside the campus with a friend, as of now. Sumit’s friend and fellow rusticated dalit student, Shreyat Bouddh said that Sumit was under depression ever since the university officials threw away his bags and belongings.
“Fortunately, a pro-quota organisation, Aarakshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (ABSS) came in the support of dalit students and provided interim financial relief of Rs 15,000, with which we are having our daily meals,” Shreyat said. Members of Aarakshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti met dalit leader and junior social justice minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday and spoke to him about BBAU’s highhandedness with dalit students. However, the university administration rubbished the charge of insensitivity. “These eight dalit students have been regular trouble-makers in the university. They keep on disturbing the peaceful academic atmosphere of the campus,” said university spokesperson Kamal Jaiswal.