A students' organisation on Tuesday, February 14, alleged that IIT-Bombay student Darshan Solanki, who died by suicide, had told a senior that he was facing caste bias on campus.The premier technology institute, on the other hand, refuted the charge that discrimination on campus drove him to commit the act. The Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC) said Udaysingh Meena, then a final year student of chemical engineering, had stated that Solanki was facing caste discrimination and exam-related depression. It also demanded that the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act be invoked in the case, and the IIT should carry out an independent investigation through a panel with at least 50% SC/ST representation.
"Darshan confided in Uday that his roommate, mentors and wing-mates were from the general category and reduced talking to him after coming to know about his rank which is a marker for his category. The combined issue of academic pressure and caste discrimination, along with a lack of mental health and academic support might have pushed him to take such an extreme step," the APPSC statement said.
Solanki (18) died by suicide on the Powai campus of the IIT on Sunday, February 12. Hailing from Ahmedabad, he was a first-year student of B.Tech (Chemical) course. The APPSC claimed that students were prevented from speaking at a condolence meeting organised by the institute's administration on Monday.
Earlier, IIT-Bombay rejected charges of caste bias in the institute, saying initial inputs from friends suggested that there was no discrimination, and urged students to wait till police and internal probes were over. "IIT Bombay strongly refutes claims in some news articles about the tragic death of a 1st year BTech student that imply that the cause was discrimination, and say it amounted to institutional murder. Based on initial inputs from friends, there is no indication that the student faced any such discrimination," APPSC said in a statement.
However, the APPSC demanded that the Director of IIT-Bombay Subhasis Chaudhuri resign from his position because of the denial of caste discrimination in the campus. They further alleged that students who are trying to bring to light the caste discrimination in the institute are being accused of harming its “prestige.” They also said that such attempts to silence the students against caste discrimination is why such discrimination exists on the campus.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.