Student Self Immolation Bid in NIT Mizoram Goes Unnoticed

On 31st March 2018, a first year B-Tech student at NIT Mizoram, Devsharan Kumar allegedly died due to an infection in his throat, lower respiratory tract and subsequent septicaemic shock because of the bad quality of food and water provided at the hostel. Students have been on hunger strike since then and on 3 April two students even attempted self-immolation. But all this is going unnoticed in far away Mizoram.

The college authorities were informed about the problems of spoiled food and unhygienic water systems (there were no RO purifier systems in the hostel) six months before his demise.  However, they did not take any action. According to the students, there had been three strikes prior to Kumar’s demise after they found insects in the food. Devsharan Kumar had been an active participant in each of the strikes.

His throat problems started after the first rain after winter. He had consumed unfiltered harvested rain water. The water did not go through any process of purification or filtrations as it was directly fed to a water cooler. This problem was not experienced by him alone, most students are still suffering from throat problems.

Authorities paid no attention to Desharan. Even to go to hospital – located 8 km away from the hostel –  his friends paid for his transport. They also supported him financially for his treatment. According to his roommate, “there is no separate ambulance for emergency as the same vehicle which is named ambulance is used for different college purposes such as carrying lunch from mess to college. They were always in a dilemma over whether to take patient to hospital or food to college.” The college however, claimed that they try to provide an ambulance in emergency cases.

When his condition started deteriorating, the students appealed to the warden and the examination in-charge for leave as Devsharan was unfit to appear in his mid-semester exams. This request was denied. He attended the first exam on shoulders of two students. But when he was not able to write the exam, the students said that the college authorities decided to send him home to prevent his condition from worsening. While travelling home on March 29, he was admitted midway at Guwahati, as the airline officials declared him illegible to travel. He died two days later.

The students have been on a hunger strike since his death. Their only demand is to speak to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and have declined to submit their demands to the college administration, who they accuse of causing his death. When no action was taken for 5 days 2 students tried to immolate themselves by pouring kerosene on their bodies on 3 April. However, the college security managed to stop them. They insisted that the district and state administration intervene. A meeting was called by district authorities and the issue reached the national level. The students submitted their demands to Deputy Commissioner Aizawl and Chief Minister of the state who have consoled them to take their demands to the MHRD.

The absence of efficient media led the students to contact other NIT and IIT students, for support in taking their voice to the national level. Now it has become a burning issue, the students are firm on only talking to the MHRD. They continue to be on strike until they convey their demands to the Ministry.