The one-day hunger strike IIT Madras students

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The one-day hunger strike IIT Madras students

CHENNAI: A day after the state government order all arts and science colleges in Tamil Nadu to shut down, students of IIT-Madras on Saturday decided to hold a protest against the treatment of Tamil peoples in Sri Lanka, marking a new chapter in the otherwise politics-free tech campuses.

The one-day hunger strike will begin at 8 am on Sunday. The students, who claimed to have obtained permission from the administration for the protest, have also arranged a panel discussion involving activists on the issue in the afternoon. The protest will end with a rally.

"We have taken permission from our management for the protest. Many students from other states have no knowledge of the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. It is also an attempt to make them aware of the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka," said S Rathnavel, a chemical engineering student who is one of the organizers.

"We are holding this protest to highlight the humanitarian crisis. Our panel discussion will focus on the political history of Sri Lanka, current ground reality and other related issues. It will also discuss what will be the best solution for Tamils in the Island nation," Rathnavel said. He said the campaign will be taken to other IIT campuses in the country.

 

IIT director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said, "If the students want to show their solidarity with the cause, they have the freedom to do so." When asked whether the campus will be shut down if the protest escalates, he said he doesn't anticipate any such trouble.