SILCHAR, 21 Sep: The hunger strike by students of the NIT here in Assam to press their various demands following the alleged suicide of a third-year electrical student entered the fifth day on Thursday, with 10 of them being admitted to a hospital after they fainted, an official said.
The condition of a student, identified as Harsh Kumar Singh, was stated to be serious.
The authorities have urged the students to call off their protest as their main demand of removing the dean (academics) Dr BK Roy has been met with.
Roy has been removed temporarily and replaced by Dr Lalit Kumar Saikia.
A student from Arunachal Pradesh, Koj Buker, was found hanging in his hostel room on 15 September. The police broke open the door to bring down the body as the other students had prevented the authorities from entering the room.
The protestors alleged that the dean (academics) had a record of harassing several students and was primarily responsible for the death of Buker.
The students started a protest on 15 September night and allegedly vandalised the residence of the dean (academics), following which the police lathi-charged them and 40 students were injured.
NIT Registrar KL Baishnab said that the authorities are engaged in discussions with the students and counselling them about their studies and future.
Earlier, the NIT’s students wrote to President Droupadi Murmu to immediately intervene, claiming that the “situation in our institution has escalated to an alarming level.”
The students also demanded that the college administration lodge an FIR to ensure proper investigation into the alleged suicide, and that “the family of the deceased should be extended comprehensive support, including financial and legal.”
The protesting students said that they should not face any disciplinary action by NIT authorities or legal steps by the Cachar district administration.
They demanded setting up high-level committee to bring academic reforms in the NIT to reduce the burden on students and ensure their mental and physical wellbeing.
Meanwhile, Kamriganj Lok Sabha MP Kripanath Mallah has written to union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, urging the union minister to immediately intervene with the authorities of the NIT here for appropriate action to mitigate the concerns of the protesting students.
He requested Pradhan to introduce in the NIT the ‘free-entry-exit’ system under the new education policy, 2020, considering the pressure on the students. (PTI)
