Hyderabad: Six students have been levied a fine of Rs 1000 each by the University of Hyderabad (UoH) administration for organising a solidarity meeting in support of Palestine and against the killings of people in Gaza by Israel since October 10 last year. The order was issued by the UoH Registrar on April 23.
Interestingly, the penal action has been taken about five months after the event was organised on October 27 last year in the UoH campus. The students who have been fined belong to different organisations on campus. Two are form the Student Federation of India (SFI), two are affiliated to the Fraternity Movement, one belongs to the National Student Union of India (NSUI) and another is part of the Muslim Student Federation (MSF).
In its circular, the UoH Registrar said that the meeting was organised without prior permission from the administration and that the banner ‘UoH for Palestine’ was not registered with the Dean Students Welfare.
The punishment against the meeting for solidarity with Palestine comes just days after the right-wing Akhila Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP) in UoH was accused of attacking students and members of the left-wing Students Federation of India (SFI).
“This might be linked to university students facing punishments globally for supporting Palestine,” said a UoH student who did not want to be named. In recent weeks, more and more campuses in America have been witnessing heavy protests by students demanding an end to the killings in Gaza by Israel.
Several UoH students were injured in clashes after members of the right-wing Akhila Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP) reportedly assaulted Students Federation of India (SFI) members. The incident took place on April 17, after two students had reportedly objected to communal songs being played on campus, which eventually led to the violence.
The UoH administration on April 18 constituted a panel of faculty members to look into the matter and submit a report. According to a UoH student, the genesis of the incident was the communal songs that were reportedly played by the ABVP at a farewell party.
“Because the two students (from SFI) objected to it, ABVP goons, about 70 of them, landed up at the hostel to attack them. From our side only about 20 of us could reach and because of that ABVP members assaulted us. Not only that, they also groped women students,” an SFI member from UoH said.
