Surat : Tribal students subjected to casteist slurs at VNSGU

Surat : The Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU), often referred to as the “temple of education” in South Gujarat, has recently come under scrutiny due to alarming incidents of harassment and casteist remarks directed at tribal students.

In a disturbing incident, tribal students residing at the Samras Boys Hostel within the VNSGU campus, while pursuing their studies at PT Science College in Athwalines, became victims of an assault by upper-caste students. The trigger for this horrifying event was a disagreement over the serving of sweet dal in the hostel canteen.

On a fateful Thursday, a situation escalated to violence when tribal students expressed their disapproval of the decision to serve sweet dal in the canteen. This seemingly innocuous disagreement turned into a shocking display of casteism, leading to a physical assault.

Four students, Ashish Hadia, Uday Jinjala, Milan Lagaria, and Jignesh Dhragu, along with ten others, have been accused of harassment under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Sahil Vasava, a student hailing from Sayaji village in Tapi district’s Uchhal taluka, was among the victims and subsequently lodged a complaint with the Surat police. The complaint outlines how he and his peers were summoned near the VNSGU convention hall by an accused student, Hardik Hadia. Upon reaching the venue, a physical altercation ensued, accompanied by a barrage of casteist slurs and abusive language. The accused even resorted to threats of violence, wielding swords and subjecting the victims to intimidation.

The motive behind this appalling incident was a demand for supremacy within the Samras Boys Hostel. The accused students insisted on being served sweet dal for lunch, a demand that the victims rightfully opposed. After a heated exchange of words and a near-violent confrontation, a resolution was reached. Both parties agreed to a compromise, deciding that the canteen would serve sweet and spicy dal on alternate days.

In response to this grievous incident, the Vesu police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Ashish Hadia, Uday Jinjala, Milan Lagaria, Jignesh Dhragu, and the ten others involved. The FIR was filed under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which serves to address hate crimes and atrocities against Dalits and Adivasi communities.

Reports indicate that numerous tribal students from remote tribal regions in South Gujarat, including Dang, Tapi, Navsari, Valsad, Bharuch, and Narmada districts, pursue their higher education in colleges affiliated with VNSGU and other institutions in Surat. These students, often residing in the Samras hostel at VNSGU or other PG accommodations in Surat, face the challenges associated with adapting to a new environment while seeking quality education.