A month after the violent clash, the Dr. Ambedkar law college has reopened and exams are being conducted from December 10th onwards. In the exams held in the past one week the absentee numbers are unusually high.
As per the information received by us at least 30 percent of the students have not appeared for the exams. For instance in the exam held on the 10th morning for the three year degree students, out of the three hundred students slated to appear for the exam hundred students were absent and only 200 took the exam. Similarly on 12th December fourth year exam for the five year degree students was held. Out of the total 200 students 70 students were absent.
A huge majority of the students who did not appear for the exams are hostellers. The 87 students who sought bail that was denied by the court and another 90 students, in total 187 students are facing severe obstacles in appearing for their exams. Significantly a majority of these are Dalit students. The reasons for their absence in their exams,
1. Many students did not even collect their hall tickets. The fear that they may be arrested if they enter the college premises is the reason behind this.
2. For the poor Dalit students from rural Tamilnadu there is no place to stay as the hostel is closed. Most of these students do not have the means to arrange alternate accommodation for themselves. We would like to note here that 20 such students approached some members of the fact finding team and sought help for accommodation in order to write exams.
In its judgment given on Dec 2 by the Chennai High court, while dispersing writ petitions filed on the law college incident has said the following among other things.
1. The Hostel should be shut down temporarily and renovated.
2. Until then alternate arrangements should be made for the hostellers' accommodation or an additional stipend of Rs.1000 should be provided along with the regular financial assistance to each student.
3. In the long run the college and the hostel should be shifted to another location. The reason cited being that the college is located in the heart of the city and space scarcity.
Without making alternate arrangements suggested by the court or giving extra financial assistance college has been re-opened and exams are being held. As a result, poor Dalit students haven't been able to appear for their exams.
Also, the hostel has not suffered any damage to be shut down or renovated. Until the day the hostel was closed down students were residing in it. The hostel had been repaired and maintained in the past years. Even this year some lakhs have been sanctioned for the hostel maintenance we gathered. So to close down the college citing renovation as a reason is unnecessary. The hostel is in a condition to be opened immediately.
There is no space constraint in the college or the hostel. As academicians we feel that the Law College being located next to the High court as a good academic opportunity. The law college and the court should not be distanced or separated under any circumstances.
Many college campuses and hostels in the Chennai city are located in central locations. Loyola College, Presidency College, Victoria Students hostel, Queen Mary's college and its hostel are all located in central locations of the city. Many premier educational institutions of historic standing are located in central locations of cities not just in India even world over. Shifting the hostel alone would also make it difficult for the students to commute to the college daily.
To close the hostel or shift it away would essentially deprive poor Dalit students' access to proper and quality educational opportunities.
Demands
1. The college administration should take immediate efforts to conduct separate supplementary exams for the one third students who have not been able to write exams due to the hostel closure and lack of alternate arrangements to accommodate the students as per high court guidelines. Since many students presently in the prison are not connected to the clash all students should be given an opportunity to write exams.
2. Hostel should be opened immediately. Until then alternate arrangements should be made according to the court orders.
3. Under no circumstances should the Dr. Ambedkar law college and the hostel should be shifted out of the present locations.
Fact finding team
(Academicians and Human rights activists)
Street, Sastri Nagar.
Adayar, Chennai – 20.
Contact No.9444120582
Members:
Prof A. Marx, Prof P. Siva Kumar, Prof K. Santhosham, Prof J. Lenin, Advocates Rajini, Sujatha, K.Kesavan, Manoharan, Raghavan, Thai. Kandasamy research scholars Jerome Chamraj, K.Pazhanisamy and R. Revathi.
