HYDERABAD: Painting graffiti has landed three students of the University of Hyderabad, including the UoH students union president, in trouble as they received show-cause notices from the varsity’s Proctorial Board. The three students are UoH S U president, Kuldeep Singh Nagi and Saikumar Yamarthi and Aditya Harish Veligatla, who are secretary and joint secretary of the CPI-M affiliated student organisation, Students Federation of India(SFI) in UoH. When contacted, Nagi said that close to July first week, some security staff of the university was erasing a graffiti of Bhagat Singh and Dr. B R Ambedkar from a wall at night, when a group of students, including the three students who were served show-cause notices protested against it. After this incident the students received show-cause notices.
The show-cause notices were served as a result of violation of a circular by the university that was passed in March this year. The circular had clearly stated that defacing of walls of any building belonging to the university in any manner is prohibited. Nagi said, “We did not deface any academic building. Moreover, we do not believe in that circular and conveyed our problems with the circular to the university administration. In universities, students often paint images of their idols and graffiti is an important part of student activism. I would say that the walls have not been ‘defaced’ with paintings of Bhagat Singh and Dr Br Ambedkar, rather the graffiti gave face to the walls.”
So far Nagi has received a total of four show-cause notices in which inquiry is pending. The show-cause notices are for actions violating the circular by UoH which was out in March. Apart from restricting graffiti, the circular had even chalked out conditions of conducting protests on campus and prohibiting holding of protest in public spaces, academic and administrative buildings.