Dalit leaders demand high-level probe into death of Dalit student at Central University of Karnataka

The Hindu

4 days ago

Members of Dalit Sangharsh Samiti demanded a high-level probe into the alleged suicide of a Dalit student in Central University of Karnataka (CUK) –Kalaburagi on July 30, and expressed concern over the death of BSc 2nd year student from Odisha, who ended her life following alleged sexual harassment in the campus.
DSS Sate Convener D.G. Sagar addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi city on Friday said that though the victim had complained to the Dean of Students Welfare, no action was taken against him.
The CUK has recently been the subject of several controversies. Similarly another Dalit student has leveled allegations of sexual harassment against a canteen staff at university campus, though the student had complained about the issue to Student's Welfare Cell, the authorities have failed to take any action against the canteen staff.
Mr. Sagar said that few months ago, a professor's brother who is running a milk parlour on the campus premises, allegedly misbehaved with students, the University Vice-Chancellor Battu Satyanarayana and Registrar R.R. Biradar and Dean of Students Welfare Basavaraj Kubakaddi tried to suppress the matter instead of taking stern action against him.
The university was exhibiting an anti-Dalit approach through various forms of discrimination against Dalit students, which is directly impacting their academic and social well-being; though the State government wants to establish residential hostels for Dalit and minority students on campus, the university authorities have deliberately considered not providing land, Mr. Sagar claimed.
Alleging irregularities in the recent appointments to the post of professor at CUK, Mr. Sagar said that Mr. Satyanarayana (vice-chancellor) favored candidates from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh depriving the eligible candidates from within Karnataka.