In response to the suicide of Darshan Solanki, a first-year engineering student at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay who was 18 years old, the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) joined protests on Friday in Ahmedabad.
Meanwhile, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), which continued its agitation, warned of state-wide protests in the coming days.
“Rashtriya sansthan bhavishya banane ke liye hain, kabra ban ne ke liye nahi, (national institutes are to make future and not to turn into graves),” went the ABVP slogan during the protest near the statue of Gujarati poet Narmad outside Gujarat University in Ahmedabad.
“In the case of Darshan, who belonged to a Scheduled Caste, it came out and was highlighted. But students from other castes, too, are dying by suicides,” said ABVP city secretary Umang Mojitra as he stressing on the increasing spate of suicides among students.
Incidentally, a coalition government by the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena is in power in Maharashtra where IIT-B is situated.
“The government should investigate what is happening post-Covid pandemic that is driving students to suicides. It should ensure that students get a safe environment at the national institutes,” he stated.
“Recently, a student of NHL Medical College died by suicide from Atal Footover Bridge in the city. In addition, IIT Madras student Stefan Sunny and Nidhin Sharma, a student of NIT Calicut, also died by suicide on February 13 and February 15 this year respectively,” the ABVP stated.
The Congress’s student wing has called for a statewide protest in the upcoming days. “It should be investigated if Darshan’s case is a suicide or a murder. All those who were involved should be punished,” NSUI state spokesperson Narendra Solanki told The Indian Express, adding they are planning similar protests in Patan and Banaskantha in the coming days.
“There are many institutes where caste discrimination is rampant. Today, it is in IIT. Tomorrow, it will be at other places,” Solanki said.