AIISCA condemns Ramdas Athawale, who was seen standing with IIT Bombay Director Kedare in Sahil’s death case. Find out what questions and demands the organization raised.
Mumbai – The All India Independent Scheduled Castes Association (AIISCA) has strongly condemned Union Minister Ramdas Athawale’s role in the Sahil Wakode case. The organization alleges that Athawale is protecting IIT Bombay Director Professor Shirish B. Kedare. A statement issued by AIISCA on November 2nd stated that Athawale met with the IIT Bombay Director on September 20th, more than a month ago.
The organization says that after the meeting, Athawale posed smilingly and posed for a photo with Kedare, who has been named in the allegations related to Sahil’s death. The organization questioned whether Athawale, who calls himself “Panther” and holds the position of Union Minister, had the courage to demand direct answers from the institute’s director and question the institutional failures that led to Sahil’s death.
According to the organization, Athawale could have made the following demands to the Ministry of Education and the relevant competent authorities under due legal process:
- Temporary suspension of Kedare and Professor Suryanarayan Dulla until an impartial investigation is completed
- Publicization of the institute’s internal committee report
- Establishing institutional accountability
- A timely and impartial investigation
AIISCA said that instead, only assurances of meetings, follow-up talks, and an appeal to trust the judicial process were seen.
The organization alleges that in an interview after his visit to IIT Bombay, Athawale repeated the narrative espoused by Kedare and Dulla. According to that narrative, Sahil had cheated and was gently advised not to repeat the same mistake, yet he still committed suicide. AIISCA questioned how this was supposed to view a student’s suicide against the backdrop of caste discrimination and institutional harassment. According to the organization, instead of repeating the version of those accused by the victim’s family, it was their responsibility to question the institution’s caste environment and institutional failures. AIISCA also questioned whether Athawale was unaware of the extensive research on caste discrimination, exclusion, and humiliation faced by Dalit students in higher education institutions, and why a serious institutional problem was being cloaked in politically convenient language like “caste discrimination is likely to occur.”
The organization questioned why, even after Athawale’s meeting, IIT Bombay students and AIISCA activists agitating for Sahil faced harsh police action and arrests. It asked what the real outcome of these meetings was. What concrete action was taken to hold the institution accountable? Why, even after more than a month, there has been no clear public decision on the demand for a CID investigation? Why has the internal committee report not been made public?
AIISCA acknowledged that as a Union Minister, Athawale may not have the personal authority to directly suspend employees. However, according to the organization, he certainly possesses the political and administrative power to demand action from the Ministry of Education and competent authorities, exert pressure on them, and ensure institutional accountability.
The statement said that ministerial positions cannot be limited to visiting institutions, posing for photographs, issuing statements, and returning without concrete action. The organization said that it does not want another assurance of standing with Sahil’s parents; it wants to see how Athawale will actually use the powers of his position. According to AIISCA, the role of Ambedkarite politics is to demand answers from institutional casteism, not to compromise with it. The statement concludes with the question: If, despite being a Union Minister, he cannot use his position to ensure institutional accountability, then what is the use of holding this ministerial position in the name of Ambedkarite politics?
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Courtesy: Hindi News