At the Hyderabad Central University (HCU), also known as the University of Hyderabad (UoH), eleven left-backed student organisations have jointly launched a relay hunger strike seeking a fair inquiry into the violence unleashed on the campus on April 17, allegedly by the members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Today, April 25, marked the fourth day of the hunger strike.
A joint statement was released by the student organisations including Students' Federation of India (SFI), All India Students Organisation (AISA), All India OBC Students Organisation (AIOBCSA), FRATERNITY, Muslim Students’ Federation (MSF), National Students' Union of India (NSUI), and more, condemning the recurring acts of violence by the ABVP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-backed student wing
Before the hunger strike began on Monday, the UoH students’ union also held a three-day sit-in protest against the violence on April 17.
The statement released by the student groups says that repeated attacks on student union leaders, female students and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) students by the ABVP, reflect a pattern of organised aggression aimed at stifling dissent and instilling fear.
What happened?
“On 17th April, 2024, the ABVP goons entered into J hostel and attacked a Muslim student. 80 ABVP goons came suddenly from outside and brutally attacked them. More than 15 students have been seriously injured. The female students were physically assaulted and verbally abused by these goons. Even when an ambulance came to take a PwD Student in critical condition to the hospital, the ABVP goons did not hesitate to snatch the keys of the ambulance,” the joint statement released by the student groups read.
The student leaders from the left-backed student groups on campus say that there have been repeated incidents of violence perpetrated by the ABVP on the UoH campus, threatening the safety and freedom of students.
Speaking about this, SFI-UoH Secretary G Mohith said, “The university has taken no action so far against the people spreading terror on the campus. This is not the first such incident, ABVP has been constantly involved in campus violence. In the April 17 incident, two of the perpetrators from the ABVP are not even students of the university anymore and are illegally occupying the hostels. Still, no action is being taken.”
“We will continue our demonstration until justice is served. If we do not get a response from the university, we will have to increase the intensity of the protests and launch an indefinite hunger strike by all organisations,” he said.
On the other hand, the ABVP, on its official X account @ABVPvoice, called the incident a "premeditated attack by SFI."
"This barbaric attack fueled by drug abuse has resulted even on despicable assault against ABVP Girls Karyakartas at Hostel J Complex. ABVP stands firm to reject on-campus violence of any kind unleashed by SFI-led Student Union by abuse of power at Hyderabad Central University and demands for a non-partisan investigation against SFI Naxals immediately," the Twitter post read.
