18-year-old Dalit student dies at IIT Bombay campus, students allege caste discrimination, suicide
Mumbai: An 18-year-old teenager studying at the Bombay campus of the IIT died after he jumped from the seventh floor of his hostel building at the institute’s campus in Powai here in the city. The incident reportedly took place on Sunday afternoon.
The police, however, have registered a case of accidental death adding that no suicide note was recovered. Investigations, though are on, with a student group alleging that he was driven to suicide due to discrimination against Scheduled Caste students on the campus.
The police said Darshan Solanki, a BTech student, was from Ahmedabad. He had enrolled for the course three months ago and his first semester exams concluded on Saturday.
The Powai police are trying to find out if the pressure of studies drove the student to take the extreme step.
In a note to students, Institute Director Subhasis Chaudhuri said: "We regret to inform the loss of a first-year student in a tragic incident this afternoon. Powai police is investigating the case. The parents of the student have been informed and they are on their way. We deeply mourn the death of the student and pray that the family gets the strength to bear this loss. May his soul rest in peace."
The APPSC (Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle) IIT Bombay, tweeted: "We mourn the loss of an 18-year old dalit student, Darshan Solanki, who joined @iitbombay 3 months back for his BTech. We must understand that this is not a personal/individualized issue, but an institutional murder".
"Despite our complaints, the institute did not care to make the space inclusive and safe for dalit bahujan adivasi students. First-year students face the most harassment in terms of anti-reservation sentiments and taunts of non-deserving and non-meritorious. There is a lack of representation of faculty and counsellors from the marginalized," another tweet read.
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DMK seeks separate seating in Lok Sabha after split with Congress alliance
New Delhi: Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking a separate seating arrangement for Members of Parliament belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) following the end of the party’s alliance with the Indian National Congress.
In a letter dated May 7 addressed to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Kanimozhi said the changed political situation made it inappropriate for DMK MPs to continue sitting alongside Congress members in the House.
She requested the Speaker to make “suitable changes” in the seating arrangement of the DMK Parliamentary Party and allot separate seating for its MPs.
“In view of the changed political circumstances and as our alliance with the Indian National Congress has come to an end, it may not be appropriate for our Members to continue occupying the present seating arrangement alongside them in the House,” the letter stated.
Kanimozhi further said separate seating would help DMK members effectively discharge their responsibilities in the Lok Sabha.
