EFLU protests: Police book 11 students; organizers `temporarily’ suspend agitation

Hyderabad: Police have booked 11 students after protests rocked English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU).

Post police action, students have temporarily postponed their agitation.

According to the students, on Sunday night, cops in five vans came and manhandled the students in a bid to disperse them. Several videos also emerged from the scene.

Around 250 EFLU students across all student unions including SFI, DSA, NSF, and Fraternity have been protesting since last week on the university campus over the non-formation of the SPARSH Committee (Sensitisation, Prevention, and Redressal of Sexual Harassment) and physical assault on a MA student inside the campus. She was at the forefront of the protest.

A student, speaking on behalf of the protesting EFLU Women’s Collective said: “As we were peacefully protesting in front of the proctor’s house, several police personnel came, randomly some students were detained, though nobody vandalized any public property, nor attacked anyone. Today we came to know that FIRs have been filed against 11 students from different unions and a few students were not even actively participating in the protests but just happened to pass by the protest venue. Every time we protested, the police were called in and they tried to intimidate us. After the FIR against 11 students, temporarily we have stopped protesting. Also, the administration has extended the Dusshera holidays till October 29 to curb any further resistance. ”

Women’s Collective said police have been deployed in civvies on the campus and the students are being constantly monitored. “We are seeking support and solidarity from the students of Osmania University (OU) and Hyderabad Central University (HCU). We are also planning to approach the National Women’s Commission,” added a student.

On the physical assault of an MA student near Gate Number 3, the protesting students said, “When the survivor was taken to the health center of the university, the medical officers were negligent and incompetent and took part in survivor-shaming along with the warden of MBCH. The proctor was informed of the incident the same night but he failed to take immediate action. The next morning when students gathered in front of his house, he brushed it off as a “small incident.” The Registrar of EFLU publicly asked for the name of the survivor and the VC did not address the students.”

“The CCTVs seemed to be non-functional that day and there was no CCTV in the spot where the student was assaulted. It looks like an insider job. The police are still investigating and questioning some suspects but are unable to nab the culprits,” said a student from the Women’s Collective.

Following the assault incident, the next day, the students raised slogans against EFLU VC demanding his resignation and saying that girls are unsafe on the campus. The students also asked for justice for the survivors and demanded punishment for those responsible for the crime. The survivor had also mentioned a statement made by the perpetrators – “We saw you at the frontline of the protest.”

Before this incident, the students had been protesting peacefully for more than 24 hours, for the SPARSH committee elections, demanding a safe space that is sensitized against all forms of sexual harassment and violence. The SPARSH committee has been defunct since 2020, in violation of UGC guidelines. This prevents previous victims of sexual harassment from obtaining redressal and has also created an unsafe environment on the campus.

Also, despite the high number of security guards, cameras, and floodlights, which are disproportionate to the size of the campus, they are not uniformly allocated. While surveillance is high in frequented areas, certain areas are left entirely unsupervised and unsafe.