NIT Silchar suicide: Students' hunger strike on, 10 hospitalised

SILCHAR: The hunger strike by students of NIT Silchar to press for their various demands following the alleged suicide of a third-year electrical student entered the fifth day on Thursday, with 10 of them being admitted to a hospital after they fainted, an official said. The condition of a student, identified as Harsh Kumar Singh, was stated to be serious. The authorities have urged the students to call off their protest as their main demand of removing the Dean (Academics) Dr B K Roy has been met with. Roy has been removed temporarily and replaced by Dr Lalit Kumar Saikia.

A student from Arunachal Pradesh, Kok Buker, was found hanging in his hostel room on September 15. The police broke open the door to bring down the body as the other students had prevented the authorities from entering the room. The protestors alleged that the Dean (Academics) had a record of harassing several students and was primarily responsible for the death of Buker. The students started a protest on September 15 night and had allegedly vandalised the residence of the Dean (Academics), following which the police lathi-charged them and 40 students were injured.

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NIT Silchar Registrar K L Baishnab said that the authorities are engaged in discussions with the students and counselling them about their studies and future. Earlier, the NIT Silchar Student Fraternity had written to President Droupadi Murmu to immediately intervene as they claimed that the ''situation in our institution has escalated to an alarming level''.

The students had also demanded that the college administration lodge an FIR to ensure a proper investigation into the alleged suicide and the family of the deceased should be extended comprehensive support, including financial and legal. The protesting students said they should not face any disciplinary action by NIT authorities or legal steps by the Cachar district administration. They demanded setting up of a high-level committee to bring academic reforms in NIT Silchar to reduce the burden on students and ensure their mental and physical well-being.

ALSO READ| NIT Silchar: Student dies by suicide, 40 injured in police lathi charge as protest turns violent

Meanwhile, Kamriganj Lok Sabha MP Kripanath Mallah has written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urging the Union minister to immediately intervene with the authorities of NIT Silchar for appropriate action to mitigate the concerns of the protesting students. He requested Pradhan to introduce in NIT Silchar the ''free-entry-exit'' system under the New Education Policy (NEP), 2020, considering the pressure on the students.

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