Sahil Wakode's parents continue Azad Maidan protest as IIT Bombay students extend hunger strike

On Monday Sahil Wakodersquos parents marked the 11th day of their daily protest at Azad Maidan sitting from noon to 6 pm Students from the All India Studentsrsquo Association AISA and other organisations joined them in solidaritySeveral students supporting Wakode have also been on a hunger strike inside the campus which entered its 11th day on Monday with nearly 30 students participatingSahilrsquos mother Sonali Wakode said she was in no condition to speak when approached for commentUnionSpeakDeepali Salve general secretary of the All India Independent Scheduled Castes Association AIISCAlsquoThe groups in support of Sahilrsquos parents will stage a protest at Azad Maidan on October 16rsquoCampus stirFollowing the death of Wakode the student body at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay staged a campuswide protest putting forth 18 demands After a town hall with the IITB administration the protest was rolled back while a faction of students continues a hunger strike on campusDeceased Sahil Wakodersquos parents Sonali and Ravindra WakodeProbe demandsThe protests began after 20yearold IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode was found dead in his hostel room He was allegedly caught cheating during a midsemester exam earlier that morning The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigationHis parents and students are demanding the immediate arrest of Prof Suryanarayana Doolla and IITB Director Dr Shireesh Kedare Students are also seeking a new committee to probe the death alleging possible bias towards facultypopcorn number30 descApprox no of students on a hunger strike on campus classDefaultProtest continuesIIT Bombay announced reforms to student wellness and examination procedures over the weekend However the changes have failed to satisfy the protesters The students have sought a dialogue with the administration provided the internal committee probing Sahilrsquos death is scrapped and replaced with an independent external committeeExam changesIIT Bombay students appeared for their midsemester exams over the weekend after they were postponed following protests over Wakodersquos death The exams were conducted under revised standard operating procedures SOPs under which students caught cheating would be given a fresh answer bookletAccording to IITB students the institute has also begun distributing forms for invigilators involved in such incidents to fill out Students will be given an optional form to explain their side of the story The institute has also reportedly told students of their plans to recruit new oncampus counsellors to strengthen student wellness servicesStudentSpeakIn a social media postldquoThere is no word on accountability no apology for the institutersquos first statement linking Sahil to cheating and no mention of Sahilrsquos family Every measure is ldquobeing formedrdquo ldquounderwayrdquo or ldquobeing exploredrdquo none has a date members or terms of reference And a studentrsquos death cannot be answered with wellbeing apps and extended delivery hours both of which appear in the same email We need the names the dates the terms of reference and the will to change what is breaking students Until then we will continue with our peaceful protest and hunger strikerdquo