Mumbai: While the CJP protest is getting attention across Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti, another protest is continuing just a few miles away at Azad Maidan.
Ravindra Wakode and his wife Sonali are on an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan, demanding justice for their son Sahil Wakode, a 22-year-old second-year IIT Bombay student who was found dead in his hostel room on September 18. Their hunger strike has now entered its fifth day.
The family has been demanding action against IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla and institute director Shireesh Kedare. Sahil’s parents have accused Professor Doolla of caste-based discrimination, while the family has also questioned the institute’s handling of the events surrounding Sahil’s death. These are allegations, and the investigation into the case is still underway.
The protest has now also spread inside the IIT Bombay campus.
On Friday, a group of students who have been protesting for around 15 days began their own hunger strike. The students marched towards the institute’s main gate and submitted an 18-point charter of demands to the administration.
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Their demands include an independent and transparent investigation into Sahil’s death, changes to the institute’s internal inquiry committee, the resignation of Director Shireesh Kedare and the suspension of Professor Doolla until the investigation is completed.
The students say their decision to intensify the protest came after Sahil’s parents were denied permission by the Mumbai Police to continue their protest at Azad Maidan over the weekends. The students have now decided to continue their agitation through a hunger strike.
The case began after Sahil was found dead at IIT Bombay on September 18, following an incident in which he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination. His family has raised allegations of caste discrimination and institutional pressure, while the circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.
The issue has also received attention from outside the IIT Bombay campus. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has spoken about Sahil’s death and raised questions about the representation and treatment of marginalised communities in premier educational institutions.
So, while CJP’s protest is occupying the streets and headlines in Mumbai, another movement is quietly continuing at Azad Maidan and IIT Bombay.
One protest is demanding action over the electoral system, while the other is demanding justice and accountability after the death of a young student.
With Sahil’s parents continuing their indefinite hunger strike and IIT Bombay students now joining them through their own hunger strike, the coming days could see further pressure on the institute and the authorities to address their demands.
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