Hyderabad University row: Post V-C Appa Rao's return, several SC/ST professors resign again

Tension is brewing at the Hyderabad Central University over protests by faculty members over the varsity’s stand on the row after Dalit student Rohith Vemula’s suicide. After scores of students belonging to different organisations were taken into police custody for holding protests near the Hyderabad Central University demanding arrest of Vice-Chancellor Professor Appa Rao Podile, the SC/ST Teachers’ Forum of the University have written a letter to the V-C reiterating their position on conditional withdrawal of resignation from their positions. The letter, addressed to Professor Appa Rao, says, “…we now reiterate our stand that we are resigning from our position since you have returned as VC before the judicial probe is completed as well as in the light of highly disturbing events that have taken place on the campus since your return…” Read the full letter here:

The letter further added that the teachers were very disappointed with the allegations against protesting students and faculty, which they termed as unfair. On 21 January, several Dalit professors had resigned from their administrative posts like chief examination officer, warden and medical officer, in solidarity with the students. They had, however, kept their teaching responsibilities. Appa Rao had then tried to call them for a reconciliation meeting, but failed. On 6 April, Controller of Examination Professor V Krishna, expressing solidarity with the protesting students against Rao’s removal, resigned from the post and walked out of the Academic Council Meeting going on in HCU. Hyderabad Central University has been on the boil since January this year after Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula committed suicide in a hostel room of the university.