Students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay started a hunger strike at the protest camp known as Justice Corner on campus on Friday, escalating their demands for the death of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode on September 18.
The students have been protesting for over 2 weeks now and are calling for an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death, and accountability from the administration of the institute. Wakode was discovered dead in his hostel room after the incident where he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during an internal exam during school. His death is being investigated by the police.
The protesting students have created an 18-point charter of demands, which they have given to the IIT-B administration. They demand a change in the workings of the institute’s inquiry committee, an independent investigation, the resignation of the director of the IIM, Shireesh Kedare, and the suspension of the professor, Suryanarayana Doolla and others.
The parents of Wakode have alleged caste discrimination at the institute and Doolla. Such allegations will be subject to investigation. Students have also expressed their concerns on how ‘disciplinary’ issues were taken care of by the institute, as well as the overall support to the students on campus.
The students then went to the main entrance of the institute and went on the protest night. Student agitation was marked by discussions regarding mental health issues, relationships between students and teachers, placement pressure, examination and evaluation systems, and student coping stages in the event of losing a loved one in college.
The students have pledged to prolong the sit-in action as long as it takes for their demands to be responded to by the administration. They have also claimed that initially made guarantees have not been replied to by the official.
Meanwhile, Wakode’s parents have continued their hunger strike at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan. The family, which secured the police permission, will proceed with the protest on its own, their own advocate Nikhil Kamble said. Parents want action against those who are allegedly responsible for their son’s death, and they want more to be done to investigate the case.
The institute has set up a 10-member committee to look into the student’s death. The family has stated that they will be present before the committee in case they are summoned.