The students' strike was called off after the Director gave them assurances that Dean of Academics B K Roy would be removed.
Digital Desk: Following conversations with NIT Silchar Director Dilip Kumar Baidya, the students' indefinite hunger strike in protest of the reported suicide of a third-year student was ended, an official said on Saturday.
The students' strike was called off after the Director, who had first spoken to the protesting students on Friday afternoon, met with them again that evening and gave them assurances that Dean of Academics B K Roy would be removed. The students' hunger strike began on Sunday, and the Director supplied fruit juice to the students to put an end to it. As a result, 10 students were sent to the hospital, with one of them having a critical condition.
"The Director apologised to us while holding his hands in a fatherly position. We are ending the protest because we believe him and appreciate his assurances," said student Rishi Kant.
According to Kant, the Director "assured us that the Dean Academics will be removed within two days."
In addition, he (the Director) gave the students the assurance that their absences during the agitation would not be recorded, according to Kant.
The students had their first meeting with Baidya on Friday afternoon, but they said they wouldn't end the walkout until they had a formal guarantee from the authorities.
However, they decided to stop the agitation later on as the entire conversation had been recorded on camera.
"The Director informed us that they want to start over, putting all the problems from the past behind them. By speaking with the students promptly, they could have been able to stop violence. Change must come from all sides; we don't want to put pressure on anyone," Kant remarked.
If we keep up the agitation, the authorities may shut down the institute indefinitely, and we don't want that to happen.
The students asked the director to hold a meeting to offer condolences for Koj Buker, an Arunachal Pradesh-native who had reportedly committed suicide on September 15 in his hostel room.
According to Baidya, they originally planned to hold it on Friday but were unable to do so owing to demonstrations. As a result, it will now take place on Monday on the campus. Additionally, Registrar K. L. Baishnab has issued a notification urging the students to end their hunger strike.
The Registrar issued a note on Friday urging the students to stop all protesting, resume courses, and engage in other academic activities in order to preserve the institute's academic environment.
The college administration should file an FIR to ensure a proper investigation into the student's alleged suicide, and the family should also receive full support, including financial, legal, security, and emotional support, according to a letter from the students to President Droupadi Murmu.
Students have claimed that Roy humiliated the victim, who received six failing grades on his first-semester exam, which was administered in 2021. 40 students were hurt when the police used a lathe to attack the protesters after they allegedly vandalised the Dean's (Academics) home on the night of September 15.
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