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Sources in ABVP say the brief was clear — give protection to Nepali students in Odisha and be seen on the right side of the fence in the larger scheme of things
By Tuesday, while arrests were made, ABVP protests spread to other parts of Odisha as well. (News18)
Much before 20-year-old Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal’s suicide at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University in Odisha snowballed into an international crisis, New Delhi pre-emptively coordinated for swift action, with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad — the students’ wing of the RSS — and the state BJP playing a crucial role.
Ahead of the Nepal embassy in India sending its two officers to “counsel Nepali students affected in Odisha”, ABVP sent directives to its Odisha unit to do three things — help students, demand action against the perpetrators and start a protest with immediate effect. By Monday afternoon, ABVP cadres could execute all three, they claim.
Sources in ABVP say the brief was clear: “Give protection to Nepali students in Odisha and be seen on the right side of the fence in the larger scheme of things,” said an ABVP functionary who did not wish to be named.
Budhadeb Bag, the state organising secretary, personally reached out to the students who were leaving after an eviction order by KIIT which was later reversed. ABVP also gave out three mobile numbers for Nepali students to reach out to them for help.
Following Lamsal’s death, over 500 Nepali students erupted in protest, blocking roads and accusing KIIT of ignoring her complaints. Allegations suggest the deceased was harassed and blackmailed by a fellow student, Advik Srivastava, a 21-year-old from Lucknow, who has now been arrested.
Under fire, the university asked all Nepali students to vacate the campus indefinitely on February 17.
With nowhere to go and no logistical help at their disposal, the students received help from ABVP which joined their fight, ensuring a public relations win. Its cadres not only started protesting outside the KIIT campus but in different parts of Bhubaneshwar and took out bike rallies apart from meeting police officials and demanding “strict action” against the erring officials.
ABVP national general secretary Virendra Solanki stepped in, asking the education and home ministries to get involved in the matter. “ABVP activists have met the affected students and assured them that we stand firmly by their side demanding justice…ABVP urges the ministry of education and ministry of home affairs to intervene in the matter to safeguard rights and ensure justice,” he said.
By Tuesday, while arrests were made, ABVP protests spread to other parts of Odisha as well. For instance, its state Secretary Swetanshu Barai led a ‘Mashaal’ march in Sambalpur. This is just one example among many instances of ABVP keeping the anti-KIIT pot boiling and its pro-student image thriving.
Meanwhile, the state BJP has been asked to be “seen on the side of the students”. BJP MLAs like Babu Singh raised the matter in the Odisha assembly and sought the arrest of Achyuta Samanta, the founder of KIIT. “What has happened in KIIT is a shame for Odisha. Therefore, he should be arrested,” Singh said.
Odisha’s higher education minister Suryabanshi Suraj too made it clear that he is on the side of the students. “Why were the students from Nepal de-boarded at Cuttack railway station? Why did the KIIT authorities not inform the government about the incident when it involved foreign students?” asked Suraj.
With this two-pronged approach, a major diplomatic embarrassment was averted by an inch. The administration also swiftly cracked the whip. Five staffers of KIIT have been charged under sections 115(2) (causing hurt to any person), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 296 (obscene act) and 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS. Following a complaint from the deceased’s brother, the police have arrested Srivastava, charging him with abetment of suicide under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
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Odisha (Orissa), India, India
