EFLU students resume protest with hunger strike; police detain several students

Hyderabad: The English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) campus in Tarnaka, Secunderabad, witnessed a severe tussle between the students and police forces on Monday, as the students were preparing to commence their indefinite relay hunger strike from Monday. Finally, the students managed to start their hunger strike despite the detention of several students by the police.

The students issued a media statement on Monday, which stated that in the face of continuing administrative apathy and complete lack of accountability following an incident of assault on campus on October 18, the students of EFLU have decided to hold an indefinite and relay hunger strike from Monday until their demands are met.

The protesting students at EFLU resumed their agitation this month after they had postponed it temporarily just before the Dussehra holidays when the police had filed FIRs against 11 students and allegedly manhandled the students to disperse them, as per the visuals that emerged from the protest site.

Hundreds of EFLU students across all student unions including SFI, DSA, NSF and fraternity, had been protesting from mid-October at the university campus following the demands for the formation of Sparsh (Sensitisation, Prevention, and Redressal of Sexual Harassment) committee and the physical assault on a MA student inside the campus, who was said to be a part of the protest for Sparsh.

Vice Chancellor’s response to students

Earlier, following the initial protest for action against those behind the assault, the vice-chancellor of the university had given a clarification that the administration is doing its best to nab the culprits.

“The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of the University conducted the inquiry and submitted its report with a recommendation to forward their findings to the police for investigation into the matter, in the absence of any specific information about the identity of the alleged culprits. Accordingly, the ICC report was forwarded to the police on October 10, 2023, and the investigation is going on. The university will take the strongest action against the culprits if they belong to this university,” said EFLU vice-chancellor E Suresh Kumar, in a letter addressing the students on November 3.

However, many students were not satisfied with the response, which resulted in them resuming their protest against the administration.

Police detain protesting students

According to the statement by the students released on Monday, the hunger strike was scheduled to begin at 1 pm. In accordance with procedures, the university administration was notified of the same the previous day. At around 12:30 pm, students started gathering at Gate number 2, the protest site, and put up a banner announcing the hunger strike.

The university guards immediately gathered to prevent the students from doing so. However, the students were able to resist and put the banner up. At around 12:45 pm, even before the strike could commence, the Telangana State police entered through Gate 2 and demanded that the students disperse since they did not have permission from the vice-chancellor to conduct the strike. The students refused to move citing that they had already notified the authorities. The police then started forcibly detaining the students. Around seven students from inside the campus were forcefully dragged from the protest site and taken away to the Osmania police station. All seven were said to have been manhandled and one, at least, has sustained injuries. The rest of the students said they would continue the protests despite the continued intimidation by the police.

OU, HCU and RSV join EFLU students

At around 1:30 pm, the proctor, deputy proctor and the registrar reached the protest site to address the students. The demands of the students were once again reiterated and the administration was publicly called out and questioned.

“Like every time, the administration continued to give elusive answers and left abruptly without addressing any demand by the students,” a statement from the students said.

The students continued to stand their ground and managed to hold the gate closed to avoid further detention. At around 1:50 pm, students from Osmania University also marched in solidarity towards the gate from outside. They were immediately detained by the police.

Soon, alumni from EFLU, members from Rythu Swarajya Vedika (RSV) and students from Hyderabad Central University (HCU), too turned up at the gate, shouting slogans in solidarity and were detained and taken to Amberpet and Nallakunta police stations.

In total, more than 30 students from various educational institutions were detained. The police continued to maintain their presence inside the campus, bringing in police vehicles through Gate number 3.

EFLU professors join support

Around 2:55 pm, a group of professors from the university joined the students’ protest inside the campus and expressed their support for the students’ cause. At the same time however, there were also instances of a few professors continuing with their classes, one faculty member going to the extent of announcing an internal assessment on very short notice to deliberately keep students away from the protest.

However, the students successfully disrupted these classes. At around 3:15 pm, the Women’s and Transgender’s Collective consisting of over 40 organisations including the All-India Democratic Women’s Association stood at the gate and addressed the students in an expression of their solidarity and ensured their support to the protesting students.

Demands of EFLU students

The students have been demanding justice for the assault survivor and arrest of the perpetrators. However, there seems to be no progress in the investigation, so far, the statement said.

As per the statement, they also demanded the withdrawal of the wrongful FIRs and show-cause notices against students, and the reconstitution of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) with elected student representatives, strictly in accordance with UGC regulations, and without administrative members, especially those who have shown their inability to handle such a case sensitively and responsibly.

They demanded the removal of the Proctorial Board, which has prioritised surveillance over safety, failed to ensure security for students, and showed themselves to be deeply anti-student and insensitive.

They have also asked for the resignation of the vice-chancellor, ‘who has overstayed his rightful tenure, evaded students’ demands for an open meeting, and tacitly condoned the administration’s targeting of students through tactics of intimidation.’

The students have asked for immediate initiation of the Student Union elections, to which the Vidhan Sabha elections are not an impediment and immediate cessation of surveillance and harassment of students by the guards and lifting of restrictions on students’ mobility and access to campus spaces.