NIT Silchar students end hunger strike after Director apologises, removes Prof. BK Roy as Dean

Director of NIT Silchar, officially ended the strike by offering fruit juice to the agitating students

Students at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Silchar called off their indefinite hunger strike after Director, Professor Dilip Kumar Baidya personally apologised to them and removed Professor BK Roy, the Dean of Academics, from his post late on Friday evening.

Director Baidya offered fruit juice to the agitating students marking the end of the indefinite hunger strike.

The students were touched by the Director’s personal apology and expressed their satisfaction with the his assurances and said that they are ready to put past issues behind for a brighter future.

The students were demanding Prof BK Roy’s removal as Dean and an apology from the administration. The students held Prof Roy responsible for the death of Koj Buker, a third year student at the institute who was found hanging in his hostel room on September 15. Koj was trying to meet Dean Roy to discuss some difficulties he was facing with his studies but apparently Dean Roy refused to meet Koj. Later Koj was found hanging.

One of the protesters stated that the Director had visited them and had given assurances that they would address all their submitted concerns and take steps to resolve them. Additionally, the Director pledged to focus on students’ mental well-being by involving psychiatrists and mental health experts.

An official gathering in memory of Koj Buker will be held on Monday at the administration building.

Apart from Prof BK Roy’s resignation, the students had several other demands, including no disciplinary actions against the protesting students, an investigation into the campus environment, and focusing on the mental health of the students. Director Prof Baidya confirmed that they had agreed to all the demands, and a new Dean of Academics would replace Prof Roy within the next two days.

The hunger strike, which commenced on the morning of September 18 and involved more than 2000 students, resulted in the hospitalization of eight students due to dehydration and other issues. More than 10 students fainted during the protest.

Rishi Kant, a fourth-year student who led the agitation, mentioned that they decided to call off the strike after several rounds of discussions, putting their trust in the director. Initially, the students insisted on a written assurance.

Director NIT assured the students that the five days of agitation would not be counted in the academic calendar to ensure that none of them would be marked absent.

Rishi Kant emphasized the need for a mutual effort to bring about change, highlighting the importance of dialogue over pressure tactics.

Also Read : NIT Silchar protest: Director gives verbal assurance to remove Dean (Academics); students demand written assurance

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