Introduction:
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, a student at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Silchar, took his own life by hanging himself in his room. This incident set off a wave of turmoil and protests on the campus. On September 15th, a third-year student tragically ended his life in Hostel 7. The suicide was attributed to academic pressure, specifically failing to clear a back paper, which in turn led to the inability to register for the ongoing semester. He is a residents of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Tragic Suicide:
The student chose to end his life through hanging, sending shockwaves throughout the campus and igniting a massive protest. The suicide, stemming from academic stress, prompted the police to intervene, recovering the body and arranging for a postmortem examination.
Student Outcry:
Some students, fearful of repercussions, spoke anonymously. One stated, ” We have strictly warned not to let anything out in the media, That’s why I Don’t want to reveal my identity.” This student further “Regarding the suicide case, Dean Academic BK Roy is single-handedly responsible for this. There are others as well. The current administration is very awful and trying to hide everything from the media. The boy went to the admin building requesting them to give him a chance to sit the exam for his back paper. They tore apart his application and then he went to hostel room and committed suicide.”
Another student said’ “Yesterday, we waited the whole night for NIT Silchar Director, but he didn’t meet with us and declined all our requests. Every day, the institution has been introducing new guidelines for students. The students are not happy with the behaviour of the administration of NIT Silchar. Today one of the student died by suicide to depression”.
Protest Eruption on NIT Silchar Student suicide:
Protest Eruption on NIT Silchar Student suicide:The protest gained momentum when students took their frustration to Dr. BK Roy’s residence, damaging vehicles in the process. According to police sources, a subset of students even attempted to set fire to the resident of Dr. Bk House by an LPG cylinder. In response, Cachar DC Rohan Kumar Jha and Superintendent of Police Numul Mahatta rushed to the scene to engage with the protesting students. Despite their efforts, the students remained steadfast in their demands, exacerbating the crisis. During the protest, Dr. BK Roy endured emotional distress.
Administration’s Response on NIT Silchar Student suicide:
The Director of NIT Silchar, Dilip Kumar Baidya, expressed his sorrow over the incident. He responded by stating, “In the evening, the alleged suicide occurred, and we are all deeply saddened by it. We responded promptly. There are allegations, which are being considered on a case-by-case basis. While there have been minor incidents before, with this particular student, I have informed them since their first year that there were challenges. Back papers and the resulting inability to progress with their cohort may have contributed to the depression.” He added, “The administration is always prepared, but it is crucial for friends to notice a student’s mental state and report it to the authorities.”
Police Intervention and Lathi Charge on NIT Silchar Student:
Despite officials’ remarkable restraint during the ordeal, the situation took a violent turn when a student hurled a water bottle at the Superintendent of Police, striking his face. Consequently, the administration was compelled to employ lathi charges to regain control of the protest.
DC Rohan Kumar Jha clarified, “We received information about the student’s suicide in the evening and rushed to the scene. The students’ behavior was somewhat unruly; they damaged a few vehicles and the Director’s residence. We attempted to negotiate with the students for a couple of hours. However, the NIT students remained highly agitated. They escalated the violence, and as we were trying to engage with them, they suddenly started throwing water bottles at us. After this, we decided that if the situation did not improve, we would have to take further steps.”
Student Protestor’s Perspective:
After the lathi charge, a student voiced their frustrations to the media, saying, “Our fellow student, a senior, tragically died by suicide, and we were peacefully protesting. However, the authorities at NIT Silchar did not even attempt to engage with us. They deployed the police against us, resulting in a lathi charge.”
After the Lathi charge many students were injured. They then sent to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital for the treatment.
Closure and Resolution: As events unfolded, the DC and SP convened a meeting with the NIT Silchar administration. According to available information, NIT Silchar will
