Yesterday, Friday, November 22, the All India Students' Association (AISA) and students from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (SBSC) protested outside the Malviya Nagar Police Station.
They demanded that a First Investigation Report (FIR) be filed immediately under the SC/ST (Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against college Principal Arun K Attree, on claims of caste discrimination.
The protest gained more momentum when Sumit, the student who filed the complaint against Atree, addressed the audience. Sumit, a Scheduled Caste (SC) student, claimed that Attree was mentally harassing him after he was falsely accused of sending obscene messages in an official college WhatsApp group.
“I will not bow down to the likes of Attree,” Sumit said. “This fight is for dignity, equality, and justice. I urge all students of DU to join me in this struggle,” he said at the protest, as reported by The Tribune.
AISA's Delhi University Vice-President Saavy led the charge at the protest in a public meeting, denouncing the SBSC administration's unjust practices and the institutionalised impunity that allows individuals like Principal Attree to carry them out.
“This is not just an isolated incident, but a reflection of a larger issue of caste-based atrocities in educational institutions across the country,” Saavy said.
The president of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), Dhananjay, also spoke at the protest, denouncing the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and its ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) alleged backing for the institutionalisation of casteism in elite universities, The Tribune reports.
The protestors stated unequivocally that if the police did not act immediately against Attree, they would escalate their protest.
However, Atree has refuted the charges, claiming that Sumit was set up by a teacher under investigation for faking qualifications. He further stated that Sumit himself faced an inquiry after being accused of hacking and sending inappropriate messages.
In response to the ongoing controversy, the Academics for Action and Development Teachers' Association (AADTA), along with the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA), have written to the Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, requesting an impartial investigation into the serious caste-based allegations against Attree, The Tribune reports.
