University of Hyderabad suspends student union president and four others for protesting

Speaking to South First, Kripa Maria George, former general secretary of the students union and secretary of SFI-Hyderabad Central University recalled the incidents of the day protests happened.

Events of the day

She said, “The fest was supposed to happen during the last week of April, but the administration asked us to postpone, due to the ABVP violence that happened then.”

Kripa further added, “We agreed to the postponement, and suggested the date of 23 May, as the exams were being held until 22 May.”

“Initially, they said they had no issue with the date, but instead on police permission, for which we approached the police, and they gave us conditional permission. However, the administration denied the permission for Fest stating that we didn’t have complete police permission, and also that the vacation was starting.”

“We then met the Deputy Commissioner of Police from the Union, and they said that they were willing to cooperate fully, and also provide police protection. They asked us to sign and give that we won’t create any issue, to which we agreed.”

Further elaborating on the incidents of the day on 17 May, Kripa says, “At around 9:00 PM the administration gave us the permission, but again in an hour, around 10:30 PM, they revoked the permission.”

Kripa added, “As the administration left the meeting abruptly and was not answering our calls, on the intervening night of 17 and 18 May, we protested near Vice Chancellor BJ Rao’s guest house. Our only demand was that the VC at least assure us a meeting on 18 May morning.”

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Action against students

Kripa reiterated, “It was a very peaceful and democratic protest, but they filed an FIR against five of us the next morning and charged us with house arrest and trespassing.”

The FIR was filed against, Atiq Ahmed, Kripa Maria George, G Mohith, Asika, and Sohail.

Kripa further shares that, in the proctor notice, and order, the administration has reiterated that the students attacked the VC lodge, “There was no attack at all, actually in the meeting that happened before the FIR was filed, we got to know that, the VC and others were suggesting to rusticate 35 students.”

The students had their proctorial hearing on 24 May, and are now suspended for six months from 1 July.

Kripa noted that they have started the protest on Monday, 24 June, afternoon.

HCU Student Union statement

In an official statement of the HCU student union, they stated, “Sukoon is not simply a cultural fest, it is the only space where students, faculties and non-teaching staff come together and celebrate the cultural diversity of this country without any hierarchy of high or low art.”

The statement further read, “It reflects the spirit of HCU, and students look forward to the event for a whole year. It is the responsibility of the elected students’ union to organise this event every year in the best way possible. It was with these intentions that the”

Recalling the campus violence in May, the statement read, “We should not forget that just the weeks before these incidents, the campus was marred with violence where students were attacked at their hostels and female students were molested by the Sangh organisation in the campus.”

It added, “The union pursued justice for the victims of the violence and demanded that the university put an end to such unchecked hooliganism within the campus. But the administration that could not do anything about such grave instances of violence has decided to rather punish those demanding peace and justice.”

5 Students were suspended by University of Hyderabad @HydUni including Current Students Union President and former General Secretary of Students Union.

What’s is going on this country,
Paper leakages,
Attacking Activists,
Suspension of Students,#StudentLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/LWK5rUjM12

— Mohith మోహిత్ (@iamohith) June 23, 2024

‘Witch hunt against progressive voices’

Calling the action not justifiable, the statement read, ” These students face the threat of PhD cancellation due to this suspension. They are being banned from being admitted to the University in the future because they held the administration accountable to students. The fellowship of these students will also be cancelled due to this suspension.”

“Discontinuing these fellowships is tantamount to expelling these students from the campus and shutting down any future academic opportunities. The majority of these students belong to marginalised and minority backgrounds, and some are even first-generation learners. Aware of all these consequences, the administration targeted progressive students. Is questioning the administration’s betrayal of student interest such a grave crime?”

The statement was concluded by calling out the “deliberate with-hunt of the progressive and dissenting voices.”

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(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula, with inputs from Sumit Jha)