India: Dalit HRD and students detained for protesting discrimination
Event- Country
- India
- Initial Date
- Jan 19, 2024
- Event Description
In a demonstration against caste-based discrimination and unjust actions by the DU administration, Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad joined supporters rallying in favor of terminated teacher Ritu Singh on Friday. The march had been planned well in advance, scheduled for January 19 to mark the death anniversary of Rohith Vemula.
During the protest, Delhi Police briefly detained Chandrashekhar Azad and some students from Delhi University. However, they were later released. Dr Ritu Singh, formerly an ad-hoc professor in the psychology department at DU, has been staging a sit-in for the past 140 days after being terminated from her position. Singh had previously worked at DU's Daulat Ram College.
On Friday, the Bhim Army Chief Azad arrived amidst tight security arrangements made by Delhi Police. Barricades were set up on all routes leading to the North Campus.
This march had also witnessed the presence of Supreme Court advocate Mahmod Pracha. Delhi Police had removed tents and other belongings from Ritu Singh's protest site few days ago.
Dr. Singh had taken to the social media and sought community's support in the massive demonstration on January 19. Ritu alleges that the DU administration discriminated against her due to her Dalit identity. Dr Singh had levelled serious allegations against Daulat Ram College's principal, Savita Roy, four years ago. In 2020, she had protested for removing Roy from the post.
Few DU students participating in the march on Friday, stated that they had come to extend support and stand with Dr Ritu Singh in her fight against injustice, emphasizing that while Savita Roy has not been arrested, the protest led by Dr. Ritu is being suppressed. The case is presently in the court.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly
- Freedom of expression
- Offline
- Right to liberty and security
- Right to Protest
- HRD
- Minority rights defender
- NGO staff
- Student
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 28.625671024563278
Longitude: 77.22266668563802
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 19 January 2024, Chandrashekhar Azad, chief of the Dalit rights organization Bhim Army, along with a group of Delhi University students, was detained by the police for protesting against caste-based discrimination and the unfair dismissal of Dr. Ritu Singh in Delhi, India.