Odisha: Massive protest over student's self-immolation; police use water cannons
What's the story
The Odisha Police used water cannons to disperse protesters of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. The protest was triggered by the self-immolation of a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College in Balasore. The student had set herself on fire on campus after alleging sexual harassment by a professor and facing inaction from college authorities. She was hospitalized with 95% burns and fought for her life for three days before passing away on Tuesday.
Protest escalation
'Balasore Bandh'
Following her death, the BJD called for a "Balasore Bandh" on Wednesday, protesting against the alleged inaction over the sexual harassment case. BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra said, "People are very angry over the denial of justice to the student who ultimately set herself on fire and died." BJD workers also called for the resignation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, saying, "Her death was not an accident but a result of administrative inaction."
Unified demand
Congress holds vigil; Rahul Gandhi speaks out
The Congress and BJD in Odisha have unitedly demanded justice for the deceased student. The Congress held a candlelight vigil in Balasore, with Odisha State Congress President Bhakta Charan Das questioning how the student was ignored despite her appeals for help. Rahul Gandhi also voiced support for the victim's family, saying that he had spoken with her father and "assured him that the Congress Party and I stand with them at every step."
Victim
Victim wrote to college's internal complaints committee
Per reports, the victim had written to the college's internal complaints committee, warning that she would die by suicide if no action was taken against the professor. "For the last few months, the HoD of BEd department, Assistant Professor Samir Kumar Sahu, has been harassing me mentally. He is always threatening me that he will ensure I fail. Most importantly, the HoD is repeatedly asking for sexual favors....I have denied this continuously," she wrote in the letter.
Action
She had attempted suicide
In the letter, she further wrote that she had lost her mental peace over the harassment and even attempted suicide. "In the future, if the college authority does not take any action, I will commit suicide and the HoD and the college authority will be responsible," she wrote. Four days after the letter, she set herself on fire while protesting outside the gate of the college along with other fellow students.