More than two-third of the century is over, the time when India was deeply involved in freedom struggle and there was a learned man, a visionary, who was worried about the future and unsatisfied with the style of the struggle. He was more concerned about the nature of post-Independent India; “It is to foolish to take solace in the fact that because the Congress is fighting for the freedom of India, it is, therefore, fighting for the freedom of the people of India and of the lowest of the low,” he said. “The question whether the Congress is fighting for freedom has very little importance as compared to the question for whose freedom is the Congress fighting.” This man of vision, whose doubts, by the time have become nightmares, was none other than Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar.
Six decades have gone since the Indian State won freedom but it has still failed to ensure freedom to its people. The frequent caste-based incidents, spread all over India, point out that we are still enslaved in the shackles of a sick mentality. The problem of caste is still rampant in the country. The recent expulsion of five dalit research scholars of University of Hyderabad from their hostels is a matter of grave concern.
The research scholars are ostracized, with the University deciding to restrict their entry in to hostels, administration building and other common places in groups. They are not permitted to participate in Students’ Union Elections, in the incident related to Ambedkar Students Association vs Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad on 3rd of August, last year. The Executive Council, the apex body of the University, arrived at this decision of suspension without conducting any enquiry. The decision translated to a kind of social boycott.
The fight between ASA and ABVP broke out when ASA organized a protest march at UoH against the attack by ABVP on Montage Film Society in Delhi University, which was screening a documentary movie ‘Muzaffarnagar Abhi Baki Hai’. In response to this protest, local ABVP leader Susheel Kumar passed a comment on Facebook calling ASA members ‘goons’, for which later he submitted a written apology. The matter was almost settled before the next day when things took a dramatic turn. Next morning, Susheel kumar alleged that about 30 students belonging to the ASA had beaten him up and he had to be hospitalized.
However, the University’s Proctorial Board which conducted an enquiry with a medical examiner could not find any proof of injuries on Susheel Kumar. Security guards present at the scene also did not confirm the incident. There is a quote from the findings of the board;
“The board could not get any hard evidence of beating of Mr. Susheel kumar either from Mr Krishna Chaitanya or from the reports submitted by Dr. Anupama. Dr. Anupama’s reports also could not link or suggest that the surgery of the Susheel Kumar is the direct result of the beating.”
After this, the board decided to warn both groups. However, the final report of the board blamed the ASA activists for causing harm to Susheel Kumar and ordered the suspension of five students. It is said that whole picture of the matter changed after BJP MLC Ramachandra Rao met formar vice- chancellor Prof. R.P. Sharma. The decision of the Proctorial body reads thus;
“Based on the Medical officer report (explained by Dr. Anupama), main complainant Susheel Kumar’s deposition and pictures by him and the deposition of two eyewitnesses (names are kept confidential) of the incident, it was evidently cleared that Mr. Susheel Kumar was abused, beaten, forced to write apology letter by a group of more than 30 students, lead by Prashant. The main and most active students involved and named by the complainant and mostly confirmed by eyewitnesses, in abusing and hitting are Prashant, Rohit, Seshu, Vijay and Sunkanna.”
Following the decision of suspension, a protest was organized by ASA, and in an open discussion with former vice-chancellor Prof. RP Sharma on the fallacies of the enquiry and the decision taken, he immediately revoked the suspension, subject to constitution of a new committee to enquire into the incident afresh. But, the present vice-chancellor Prof P Apparao did not order a fresh enquiry and kept the suspended students in the dark while a committee from Executive Council took a decision of suspension.
A written statement was released by Joint Action Committee for Social Justice (UoH) terming the decision ‘shockingly atrocious’ and ‘incomprehensible’. It also states that immediately after the appointment of Prof. P. Apparao as VC under the direction of the new BJP-led Union government, the decision to ostracize the dalit research scholars from hostels, common places, administrative building, and students’ union election was taken without conducting any fresh enquiry into the incident.
From the entire episode, it is clear that the research scholars were victimized on account of political pressure from BJP, Right-wing forces and by the actions of the VC, who negated natural principles of justice and violated SC/ST Atrocities Act, in a hurried attempt to show allegiance to BJP and ABVP.
The protests against the decision are continuing on the campus while the suspended students are forced to spend chilled nights under the open sky at the shopping complex. 
