New Delhi- The recent workplace deaths of two employees—one Dalit and one Christian—at the University of Hyderabad in the last five days have once again brought to light the deeply rooted caste oppression within the university. Vinod Kumar, an employee in the Hindi department from a Christian background, is reported to have died due to a heart attack and delayed provision of medical facilities. In contrast, Kichala Praveen, a Dalit sanitation worker at Lake View Guest House, committed suicide by consuming pesticide.
Both employees had reportedly been distressed by their supervisor for an extended period. Students, the student union, and employees from the Hindi department have collectively called for the dismissal of both supervisors and demanded appropriate compensation for the families of the deceased.
On December 15, a substantial number of employees and students met with the Registrar to report these incidents. Students revealed that, when they demanded the immediate dismissal of the sanitation supervisor, the registrar entered the office without responding. Frustrated by this irresponsive behaviour, students protested in the admin building around 6 pm.
The entire University of Hyderabad, bearing the title of Institute of Eminence, is reeling from the on-duty deaths of two employees within a week, both of whom had been working on a contract basis for an extended period.
This story was originally published in themooknayak.com. Read the full story here .