KOTTAYAM: With all mediation talks to settle the indefinite hunger strike launched by a Dalit research student Deepa P Mohanan at the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam failing to yield any results, the state government has assured its intervention in addressing the issues raised by the student.
Higher Education Minister R Bindu, in her Facebook post, said she would seek a report from the university authorities on the matter. According to the minister, the research student raised two main issues, which were the difficulties in completing her research work and a demand to oust the teacher and director of the varsity center who dishonoured her with casteist remarks.
“Vice-Chancellor has already assured the student that she would be given all the infrastructure facilities in the varsity, including lab, library, and hostel to complete her work and the VC himself would guide her in the research. I understand that the girl (sic) has taken this into confidence as well,” Minister wrote on her FB wall.
Bindu added that the student, however, chose to continue with the strike after the varsity authorities raised some technical issues in initiating action against the teacher, against whom the student raised allegations.
"The High Court and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission had earlier intervened in her issues. Taking this into account, the university should resolve the student's complaint as soon as possible, which is the stand of the govt. The university has been asked to report the impediment for investigating her complaint after removing the teacher, facing allegations, from the office. The university has also been asked to state what documents it is based on if there is a technical impediment to it,” Minister said.
“The government is concerned about the health of the student. We will take the required steps to ensure justice for the girl as soon as govt gets the explanation from the university. If the university will be delaying the decision initiating action against the teacher, we will direct the university authorities to instruct the teacher to keep away from duties,” she said, requesting the student to withdraw from the strike taking this as an assurance.
Meanwhile, the PhD student came down heavily against the Kottayam district Collector P K Jayasree, alleging that the latter scheduled a compromise talks in her chamber on Friday afternoon without considering her ill-health following the hunger strike.
“It was an irresponsible stance, which is to dishonour me as the Collector was well aware that I was extremely weak following the hunger strike since October 29. Though the Collector had assured that she would come and meet me at the venue of my protest, she didn’t do that. The Collector turned a blind eye towards me even after I informed her that my health is in danger. Yet, she asked me to come to her chamber. But I was too weak to travel from the varsity to the Collectorate,” the student wrote on FB wall.