Kharagpur: A week after the death of a student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, in West Bengal, whose semi-decomposed body was found in his hostel room on campus, the students have gathered en masse and are protesting against the administration.
The deceased Faizan Ahmed, 23, a third-year mechanical engineering student of IIT Kharagpur, was found dead by the police who had been called after a foul smell began emanating from the closed room in the Lala Lajpat Rai Hall on October 14.
Faizan, a resident of Tinsukia in Assam, had moved into the hostel recently.
Hundreds of university students, who have gathered outside the varsity now, are demanding the immediate resignation of the director for his failure as students grieve the young fellow’s death.
“We stand in solidarity with the protesting students of IIT Kharagpur. IITs becoming graveyards for students,” said one student collective, Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study circle, on Twitter.
As per various videos, viral on social media, hundreds of students can be seen holding placards and shouting anti-administration slogans. The protesting students are seeking the director's resignation on an immediate basis.
Last week, the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Bisawa Sharma said that he is deeply pained and expressed his condolences to the deceased's family.
“Deeply pained by the unfortunate death of Faizan Ahmed, a bright young student from Tinsukia studying at the prestigious IIT Kharagpur. My condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace,” Sharma had said in a tweet.
Sharma’s tweet was followed by a statement issued by the IIT Kharagpur's deputy director who took the responsibility for the “lapses” that occurred following the incident.
“I am extremely saddened and sorry for the loss of a dear friend Faizan Ahmed. The unfortunate incident has created a challenging situation for all of us. While we are working to devise solutions for such loopholes, so that incidents as such do not occur in the future, the conditions that arose in the aftermath of the reporting of the incident were unprecedented and the response to them was inappropriate in particular instances by the administrative body,” the deputy director had said in the statement.
The deputy director statement added, “There is a gap in communication between the authorities and the deceased student’s parents owing to which no faculty member has contacted them or any family member even as they were expected to do…. the student’s faculty adviser exhibited inappropriate behaviour towards the parents as well as the students in a meeting. The administrative body along with the student representatives, has been actively taking measures to prevent any such unfortunate incidents in future.”
