NEW DELHI: After Rohit Vermula, a research scholar at University of Hyderabad committed suicide over alleged caste discrimination, a Dalit student of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has sent two letters to the Vice Chancellor threatening to end his life if his research grant is not extended next year, on Tuesday.
30 year old Madan Mehar , student of International Politics at School of International Studies(SIS) has alleged that due to all around discrimination he had chosen to take this step.
“I have no other option left, I am being harassed continuously , along with me there are other SC/ST students who are facing the same treatments as me. For the future of the Dalit students I will take this step, if the administration does not give an assurance” Mehar told Express.
Mehar belonging from Orissa has written letter in which he has stated in a letter addressed to the Vice Chancellor S K Sopory “if you will not provide my remaining SRF of one year within a week. Then I will commit suicide. For this death you and JNU will be held responsible” .
In a separate letter, he contended that he was absent from the university for a certain period due to death of four members of his family, including his father and brother, and now that he has resumed his studies, he wants his fellowship to continue.
Mehar said“they did not allow me to go abroad to study and learn, it is a deliberate and continues effort by the varsity to block my study” told Express.
Sopory the outgoing vice chancellor of JNU told Express “We have contacted the student and the matter is going to be resolved. It is not right to say that his pleas were not heard or that the varsity is deliberately blocking anyone’s PhD. We have contacted the Centre of the SIS and they will be sending in their part. Secondly the money that has been taken for field trip to Belgium also needs to be looked into, it has not been accounted.”
The researcher with International Organisation (ORG) division, CIPOD, had received an advance payment of Rs 66,000 for his field trip to Brussels, Belgium.