The campus of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) is grounds for protests and anger after the suicide of a 25-year-old student, Gautam Kumar, has come to light. The student who took the tragic action was reportedly in distress after he was expelled from his hostel premises.
The students of GGSIPU are not taking this lightly, having been conducting a sit-in protest outside the vice-chancellor’s office holding posters and placards that demand “Justice for Gautam”. Classes have also been suspended with students and even some professors, who are participating in the protests, claiming that it will remain so until the administration takes accountability.
What Happened At The Protest?
Hundreds of GGSIPU students have been holding a sit-in protest for a few days now outside the Vice-Chancellor’s office and carrying placards and posters reading “Justice for Gautam”; “Don’t Let the Suicide Note Disappear”; “We want justice” and “Suspend the warden” along with “College administration. Down! Down!” and “Protest Till Justice Served.”
They’re demanding accountability from the administration along with the warden who expelled Kumar and five other students being fired and compensation being given to the family of the victim.
The students are also demanding that a grievance cell be formed, safe of female students be addressed and “a full-time doctor on campus and more representation in the student council with fewer professors” as per a report by The Print.
A condolence meeting organised by the professors and the administration was scheduled for Tuesday at the GGSIPU campus, in memory of the 25-year-old student from Patna. The professors, registrar, and acting vice chancellor attended the meeting and offered flowers to a photo of Kumar.
It was during this time that the acting vice-chancellor, AK Saini addressing the protesting students said “Gautam Kumar was my student and it’s unfortunate that he took his life like this. Following the demands of the students, we have put the warden on forced leave and have relieved him from his duties. We will take action once our inquiry is concluded.”
Registrar Pathak also announced that the students should disperse now that the administration was taking action, but when the agitated students demanded a written confirmation, a report by The Print claims that “Pathak flashed a piece of paper and started running away” along with the VC and the students chased after them in return.
While the acting VC managed to escape to his office, the registrar was caught by the crowd who ripped his shirt apart.
The thing that angered the student was the notice that Pathak was showing that stated “Professor Rakesh Kumar, ex warden of Boys Shivalik Hostel is hereby ordered to proceed on leave till the submission of the report of Fact Finding Committee.”
The double standards of the situation irked students, with one as per The Print saying, “Why are they following the rulebook for the warden, and waiting for an inquiry report? [Gautam] Kumar did not get this.”
A second-year law student also said, “A review committee should have investigated the party, and allowed students to present their side. This did not happen in Kumar’s case.”
Why Did The Student Suicide Happen?
The student who committed the suicide was Gautam Kumar, who hailed from Vaishali in Bihar and was a first-year MBA student at the IP University main campus in Dwarka Sector-16, Southwest Delhi.
He had joined the program just four weeks ago, however, allegedly committed suicide on Sunday by jumping from the seventh floor of his hostel building.
The reason for this drastic decision was the distress that was caused when he and five other students were expelled from their hostel on 14th September by the warden for allegedly consuming alcohol and narcotic substances.
As per reports a student was celebrating their birthday on that day and Kumar along with other students was present there when Rakesh Kumar, the warden of that hostel, entered the room suddenly and accused six students of drinking alcohol.
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He then expelled them then, and there, barred them from the hostel without any official inquiry or allowing the students to present their cases. According to reports, other hostel residents claim that Kumar had not drunk any alcohol and was just eating the birthday cake.
They also said that Kumar’s luggage had been thrown out of his room. On Sunday evening, Gautam Kumar never arrived at the hostel mess where he reportedly was going to meet his friends, instead, he went to his room from where he jumped from the seventh floor and died on impact. He shouted “Sorry, my friends” before jumping.
His family received a message from him and when they couldn’t contact him, they reached out to the representative guardian in Delhi to check the situation.
Gaurav, the victim’s brother said, “That’s how we found out that he had died. Nobody informed us—not the warden, nor the school administration. We don’t even know whether he jumped from the building or if he was pushed.”
Suicide Note
The suicide note is also something that caused some confusion. As per a 15th September report by India Today, the police claimed that there was no suicide note found on the spot where the victim was.
However, now, an alleged WhatsApp message that Kumar sent to his parents before his death has come out where he is apologising to his parents and blaming the hostel warden for his decision.
Circulating on WhatsApp, the suicide note states “Sorry, Mummy, Papa, Bhaiya, and Bhabhi. I am committing suicide, and the reason is my hostel warden. He trapped me in a false case and expelled me from the hostel. I am jumping from the hostel terrace.”
The police are reportedly investigating the authenticity of the message.
A senior police officer also stated as per reports, “No FIR has been registered as we have not received any complaint from the family. We have handed over the body to the family. The university administration has formed an internal committee, and based on its findings, we will take appropriate action. Currently, our priority is to maintain law and order on campus.”
Are Indian Campuses Failing Students?
This is just one among the long lines of student suicides that have come out in reports this year itself.
On 9th September a third-year B.Tech Computer Science student from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati was found dead inside his hostel room.
The IIT Guwahati campus has witnessed several more student deaths with a 23-year-old female M.Tech student, from Uttar Pradesh, being found dead in her hostel room on 9th August, and a 20-year-old first-year B.Tech student from Bihar also committed suicide in April this year.
Students from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Tiruchy were also protesting in August when a female student was allegedly sexually harassed by a WiFi technician who entered her hostel room. Students complained that the college administration and hostel authorities did not handle the situation properly and the warden had also reportedly blamed the victim for not being alert.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Print, The Hindu, The Indian Express
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Indraprastha University, Indraprastha University student, Indraprastha University suicide, Indraprastha University student suicide, student suicide, student, suicide, indian colleges, India student suicide
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