Koj Buker's Suicide in NIT Silchar: Students' hunger strike persists amidst administration's "pressure tactics"

The campus of the National Institute of Technology Silchar (NIT Silchar) remains gripped by tension as students, numbering over 4,000, continue their indefinite hunger strike, demanding justice for the tragic suicide of a third-year student, Koj Buker. The incident, which occurred in the student’s hostel room, has ignited a wave of protests against the institution’s administration.

The latest development in this ongoing standoff occurred earlier today when the Director of NIT Silchar, Professor Dilip Kumar Baidya, along with other senior professors, visited the hunger-striking students in a bid to bring an end to their protest. However, the students, resolute in their demands, refused to halt their strike until the assurances provided verbally were put in writing.

“We will remove the Dean Academic within a few days,” was the verbal commitment made by the director, but the students insisted that they needed written confirmation before discontinuing their protest.

The root of the students’ anger lies in the alleged role of Professor BK Roy, the Dean Academic, in the suicide of Koj Buker. The students have demanded the immediate removal of Professor Roy from his position. In a disturbing turn of events, Professor Roy’s residence was vandalized, with charges filed against several students for their involvement in the incident.

In addition to the Dean’s removal, the protesting students are also demanding the revocation of charges filed against them during previous protests related to Koj Buker’s suicide.

Efforts by the NIT Silchar management to break the hunger strike have included various tactics. Students have been warned of potential consequences, including the possibility of companies withdrawing from campus placement drives due to the tense atmosphere. Moreover, the management has marked protesting students as absent, putting their academic standings at risk due to attendance criteria.

An appeal issued by the administration, which some students perceive as an ultimatum or threat, has warned that failure to withdraw the strike might lead to the college’s closure and the declaration of hostel shutdowns.

The protesting students remain steadfast in their commitment to their cause, despite the mounting pressure. “We are aware of the threats they have been hurling at us. We are not disturbing anyone but protesting peacefully,” said one of the student leaders. “If the hostels are locked, we will stay outside and protest. But unless our demands are fulfilled and the assurances are given in writing, we will not withdraw our hunger strike because we do not have faith in this administration.”