Four student suicides within a span of two months at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, have created an atmosphere of tension across the entire campus. Late Thursday night, hundreds of irate students took to the streets and staged a vigorous protest against the institute’s administration and faculty members.
Leveling serious allegations against professors and wardens, the students demanded immediate action against them.
The protesters alleged that, in the case of Priyanshu’s suicide, a professor had told students, “If you are bent on dying, go and die at Brahmasarovar; do not die here.” The students demanded immediate disciplinary action against this professor. Similarly, in the case of Diksha Dubey’s suicide, female students accused the hostel warden of negligence.
They stated that the warden had been informed the moment Diksha was found hanging, yet she continued to calmly sip her tea. It took three hours to bring Diksha down from the noose, resulting in a failure to provide timely assistance.
As the protests intensified, a heavy police force was deployed. Late at night, the institute’s administration abruptly announced holidays from April 18 to May 4. An official letter from the administration stated that theory examinations would proceed according to the previously scheduled timetable, while practical examinations would be conducted online. Despite the announcement of holidays, the students remained steadfast in their sit-in protest.
Dr. Brahmjit Singh, who is currently serving as the institute’s Director, arrived at the scene along with other officials and attempted to pacify the students; however, the students stood their ground. The students demanded the immediate suspension or transfer of Sports In-charge Sabuddin, an impartial inquiry into all the incidents, and the implementation of concrete measures to prevent future suicides.
Following a protest that lasted late into the night, the students finally ended their sit-in at 3:00 AM on Friday after receiving assurances from the administration. The NIT administration has stated that a committee will be constituted to investigate all the allegations. The investigation into the matter is ongoing.