DMK MP Kanimozhi, on Monday, raised questions as to why an FIR has not been filed against any of the professors of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M), despite Fathima Latheef specifically naming them in her notes. She was one of two MPs who raised the issue of student suicides in IITs in the Parliament.
The Winter session of the Parliament began on Monday in New Delhi. Two MPs from the south -- NK Premachandran from Kerala and Kanimozhi from Tamil Nadu -- raised the issue in the Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour.
DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, representing Thoothukudi, said that many students in higher educational institutions are killing themselves and also face caste-based discrimination. Stating that 52 students have killed themselves in IITs in the country in the last 10 years, Kanimozhi said that the Minister himself has accepted that nearly 72 cases of caste discrimination has been booked in the institutions of higher education in the country. “It is shameful. What are we teaching? What is the point of these institutions if this is what we are going to do to our students?,” she asked.
She also mentioned that despite Fathima specifically naming a few professors in her notes, no FIR has been filed against them and no arrests have been made yet. “Who are they trying to protect? Why hasn’t the professor not even been called for interrogation? What is happening?,” she said.
“Higher learning institutes cannot become a place for caste and religion based discrimination,” she said adding that attempts being made to protect the professor.
#IITMadras போன்ற உயர் கல்வி நிறுவனங்களில் நிகழ்ந்த 52 தற்கொலைகள் பற்றியும்,அக்கல்வி நிறுவனங்களில் சாதி,மத பாகுபாடுகளுக்கு வழிவகுக்கும் நடவடிக்கைகளை அனுமதிக்கக்கூடாது என்பதைக் குறித்தும்,தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்ட பாத்திமாவுக்கு நீதி வேண்டியும் இன்றைய பாராளுமன்ற கூட்டத்தொடரில் பேசினேன் pic.twitter.com/JD05djdbTU
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) November 18, 2019
Apart from her, NK Premachandran, the Member of Parliament representing the Kollam constituency from where Fathima Latheef hails also mentioned the issue and stated that the student’s family has alleged that she was subject to religious discrimination by a professor. He also said that Fathima’s suicide was not an isolated incident. “More than five persons have died during the last academic year. One teacher and four students have died under mysterious circumstances in Chennai IIT during the last academic year,” he said. Seeking a high level probe into the death, Premachandran said that the person responsible for this must be booked and punished and that a discussion must be held on harassment inside IITs and IIMs so that no other Fathima Lathiefs die in future.
Fathima Latheef, a first year student in the Department of Humanities and Social sciences in the prestigious IIT-M was found dead inside her room on November 9. Notes taken from Fathima's mobile phone after her death had named one of her professors as the cause. In another note, she had named two other professors.
Fathima’s father Abdul also condemned IIT-Madras for allegedly washing their hands off the whole incident and added that Fathima had spoken about harassment from these professor earlier.
“She had mentioned that he was a bad man. She was scared to attend his classes. She did not even go to collect her mark sheet from him. Instead, her friend went and got it for her,” Abdul added. The prejudice he claimed, stemmed from her good performance in all subjects.
“We have seen e-mails where a professor had asked her to meet him in order to get the additional 5 marks in his paper. She scored 13 out of 18 in the paper. But the answer she had written for the 5 marks was also correct,” a family member of the deceased student who accompanied Abdul added.