Leaked: Hyderabad University Planned Every Detail of VC’s Return

Students say that the VC’s return was planned to precision knowing well that there will be opposition to it.

On Tuesday morning, an email sent to everyone on campus by the office of the Vice-Chancellor of Hyderabad University announcing his return, set alarm bells ringing in the protest movement seeking justice for Rohith Vemula.

Documents, in the form of ‘task-sheets’, which are now doing the rounds in the university campus however show that the VC’s return was a well-planned affair. These documents were leaked to the Joint Action Committee-Justice for Rohith Vemula.

We believe that these instructions were given by the VC and his supporters, and they had meticulously planned the whole event knowing well that there will be a backlash.

S Munna, JAC Member

The tasks on these sheets lay out to the smallest details as to how faculty members should act, starting from holding meetings to arranging milk and water.

In a list of tasks for one Krishna Ram, who is said to be the PA to the VC, his duty for the day from the morning is laid out, from picking up particular professors to sending emails and uploading the announcement about the VC’s return in the campus. See the entire list below.

There was also a list of tasks for the faculty members, which included senior members and deans, who were supporting the VC.

Six faculty members were to meet the VC at the Gachibowli Stadium at 8 pm before entering the campus along with him.

Some were also given charge of seeking security help in case there was any “law and order” problem. The task sheet talks about coordination with “like-minded faculty”. There was also strong support from the students who favoured the VC.

Further, there is also a list with “tasks for Appa Rao”, which shows how the sequence of event leading up to the VC’s return started the previous night.

The press releases were prepared on the night of 21 March.

Professors were to be woken up as early as 5: 30 am on Monday and given tasks. Here too, there were concerns of law and order problems and references to “police matters”. Some help is also sought from students.

“This clearly shows that what happened was pre-planned,” says Sunkanna, one of the students who has been suspended. Sunkanna said that the vandalism was also planned and expected.

Following the ransacking of the VC’s office, members of the JAC said that it was not them who indulged in violence but student supporters of the VC and members of the ABVP who were asked to assemble there earlier.