Hyderabad: Even as Rohith Vemula's family looks to assume the mantle of defenders of Dalit rights across the country, students at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) now stands divided over the demand for justice for Rohith and the need to resume academic activities.
While tension has been simmering over the issue for a while as one section of students were desperate to get back to studies but the resignation of student's union general secretary Raju Kumar Sahu from SFI – the student body of CPI(M) - has spurred the pro-academic students to rally behind him to ensure that the university gets to start academic activities.
As per a report in The Time of India, Sahu has accused SFI of opportunistic politics and questioned the manner in which the Vemula agitation was carried out in the university.
Sahu alleged that the movement is funded by the Congress, Left and other opportunistic forces.
The TOI quoted from Sahu's letter: "My loneliness and alienation are affecting my studies and also apparently driving me towards the unfortunate path undertaken by Rohith. I think coming into the open and getting distanced from the wrong way would save me from the doom (sic)."
Sahu added that the real losers in the entire 'game' are the common students who have suffered in terms of placements.
One section of the students now wants academics to resume while the other continues to support the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice.
As one student put it: “I also want justice for Rohith but the protest should be not at the cost of the future of poor students.”
