A Research Scholar of EFLU is termed as Anti-University Activist

The attack of fascist forces on universities clubbed with discrimination of students based on caste still continues. A research scholar of EFLU Mr Duggal Koonal and a guest faculty of UoH  were barred from entering EFLU university citing they were Anti-University activist by so-called nationalist owing to their active participation in justice to Rohit Vemula.

It was 14th April 2016, when the nation was celebrating 125th birth aniversery of Dr. B.R Ambedkar, Mr. Koonal Duggal  addressed a gathering on the occasion at EFLU. He was manhandled by the security guards and dragged out of the institution even though he was the student of research. In an unconstitutional act that can constitute an act of atrocity and attack on free speech, Mr. Koonal Duggal has been barred from entering EFLU, a public Institution that is required to uphold constitution.

It’s a shame on the part of Administration of EFLU, the restrictive order issued by the Proctor of EFLU, Mr. Prakash Kona against the research scholar Koonal Duggal has been seen with immense empathy, in the light of series of events happened in the University of Hyderabad, which further led into the institutional murder of Rohith Vemula. The infamous Ambedkar Jayanti Celebration in campus points out the similar presence of the brahmanical administration in EFLU.

Koonal Duggal was repeatedly humiliated in front of all students and teachers which compelled him to lodged a complaint at Osmania University Police Station against the Proctor under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.” On March 29 this year, the Proctor released a circular prohibiting Koonal’s entry into the campus but the letter was handed over to him on 15th April 2016. It said that, Koonal who submitted his thesis in September 2015, “continues to trespass in this campus indulging in anti-university activities. Therefore, his entry into the EFL University campus is strictly prohibited except with the permission of the Proctor.”

The attack on Koonal cannot be seen as an isolated issue. But, it is an attack on the entire students’ community of this country, especially the marginalized ones. It has been the classical strategy adopted by the Upper caste to suppress the raising voices. The way the notice has been issued to Koonal Duggal, the way he was manhandled and forcibly removed from the campus is very much similar to the UoH incident.

Calling somebody an instigator and throwing him out alleging anti-institutional activities is not a new trick in the current scenario.

Calling somebody an instigator and throwing him out alleging anti-institutional activities is not a new trick in the current scenario. We have witnessed all these strategies in our 141 days long strike and further. The hopeful thing about the students’ community of this country is that we haven’t given up yet. FTII, Allahabad University, Jadavpur University, JNU, HCU, NIT Srinagar and now EFLU and many more are there in the line of history along with us, though all of our movements have been originated within the campuses. The way, struggle identified with each other and the way student movements have been spread or taken up by the people gives a lot of hope in pursuit of justice.

It is time that we stop the government from turning educational and cultural institutions of the country into breeding and bleeding grounds for their cheap ideological propagation and their selfish desires. It is time we stop such government from bulldozing the very founding values of education and the tenets of democracy of this country which is at stake. It is time that we get rid of sycophantic incapable heads of institutions across the country that function hand in glove with the government in crushing and now killing voices of dissent and marginalized communities.

#DALIT #EFLU #KOONALDUGGAL #UNIVERSITY