Hyderabad scholar suicide: Dalit professors' resignation continues

A student holds a banner and a photograph of Rohith Vemula, as he sits with others during a hunger strike to demand justice in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad: The number of professor resigning from their administrative posts in University of Hyderabad reached 14 on Friday.

The professors are members of the University of Hyderabad SC/ST Teachers and Officers Forum, including professors and lecturers, resigned from their administrative positions in a bid to show solidarity with the protesting students over the suicide of a Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula.

The executive council of the University had yesterday revoked the suspension of four Dalit scholars who had been expelled, along with Rohith Vemula, in December last year.

However, the protesting students refused to talk to faculty members.

Earlier on Thursday, at least, 13 faculty members - including Professor V Krishna, controller of exams, Chief Medical Officer Dr Ravendra Kumar, 10 hostel wardens and chief warden Nagaraju - put in their papers from their respective posts.

"We are deeply hurt by Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani's press conference, yesterday (on Wednesday), where we got labelled as Dalits," said Dr Ravindra Kumar, adding that it's like adding salt to our wounds.

"We are about 40 people in Hyderabad University's SC/ST faculty forum, of which 12-13 hold administrative posts," Kumar said.

"We thought that the Government doesn't require our administrative acumen, so decided to lay down admin posts," said Kumar said.

Vemula and four others were suspended in December, and a month later Vemula hanged himself to death on the university campus.