Late student activist Rohith Vemula’s mother Radhika, in Kolkata for a meeting of Left-affiliated students' groups related to the hijab issue on April 12, has said that no one can question a woman's attire.
“In her opinion, no one can question the attire of a woman. She says that in this case, I don’t want to stand for it, I don’t want to stand against it. I want to take a neutral stand about it,” Radhika’s interpreter Shirisha stated.
The students’ programme on Saturday was to remember leaders Sudipto Gupta and Anis Khan. Sudipto had died while in police custody after a law violation programme held on April 2 in 2013. Student leader Anis Khan’s mysterious death in February this year is being probed.
Radhika said that she was in Kolkata to talk about Rohith’s death and wants to stand for students who are taking the struggle forward. “I have heard about Anis’s death. It’s so saddening to hear that he was ‘killed’ in his own house,” she said. She added that it seems as if the ruling political parties (at the Centre, and in the state) are afraid of marginalised sections availing higher education, as thereafter students will ask for their rights.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya attended student protests. “Anis Khan was a planned murder, and that’s my stand from day 1, and with that (opinion) I moved court. Now, the court has given a chance to the special investigation team. Once the report comes, we shall take up the matter in the court,” Bikash said.
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