Fiction Vs Fact

Had the scuffle or clash in a hostel room on August 4, 2015, at HCU been serious enough, police action, media coverage and expulsions would have followed in 48 hours. But defending the university’s belated action in suspending and expelling only one group of students (revoked on Thursday) in December-end, the NDA government has tied itself in knots.

The chain of events started with Dalit students assaulting a student in the hostel, claim the university and the government

The trigger was, in fact, a derogatory Facebook post in response to Dalit protests against the hanging of Yakub Memon and the government banning the screening of a documentary film in Delhi on the Muzaffarnagar riots

Union minister of labour & employment Bandaru Dattatreya claims to have merely forwarded a representation to the Union HRD ministry.

Dattatreya, in fact, drew HRD minister’s attention to the university having become “a den of casteist, extremist and anti-national activities”, and referred to the alleged assault on the ABVP office-bearer

The Proctorial Board that found no evidence of assault on the aggrieved student and no evidence against the Dalit students had NOT consulted all parties

The committee had, in fact, consulted all parties and submitted its report after meeting the doctors and the ABVP activist in hospital, who claimed that the punches he suffered in the course of the scuffle triggered an acute case of appendicitis

The subcommittee constituted to conduct a second inquiry was headed by the “seniormost faculty member from the Dalit community”.

Factually wrong. The committee was headed by and comprised officials from elite castes; a Dalit was co-opted as member.

The HRD ministry merely forwarded the Union minister’s letter as it had forwarded the letter sent by Congress MP Hanumantha Rao on suicides on the Hyderabad University campus. It had sent six reminders after forwarding Rao’s letter in November 2014 and four after Bandaru Dattatreya’s letter in August 2015.

The fact that reminders on Rao’s letters did not apparently elicit any reply from the university or any privilege move by the Congress MP but reminders sent on Bandaru’s letter resulted in action speak for themselves. Nothing more needs to be said.

An impression is being sought to be created that the research scholar’s monthly stipend of Rs 25,000 was held back due to the disciplinary action.

The stipend had actually been held over from July 2015 with no explanation apart from pending paperwork being offered on why the payment was delayed.