Tear Gas, Water Cannons As Protest Over Student’s Self-Immolation Rocks Odisha Capital
The area outside the Odisha Assembly, or Bidhan Sabha, turned into a conflict zone this morning as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse a large crowd protesting the death of a college student who had set herself on fire. The demonstrators were demanding justice for the 20-year-old victim and accountability from authorities who allegedly ignored her pleas for help.
Tense scenes unfolded as hundreds of protestors, enraged by the student’s death, attempted to break through police barricades erected to secure the legislative assembly. Videos from the location show a heavy police presence confronting the crowd, deploying multiple rounds of water cannons and firing tear gas shells to push the demonstrators back.
The public outrage stems from the tragic death of a B.Ed. student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore. The young woman set herself ablaze on campus last week after allegedly being subjected to prolonged sexual harassment by the head of her department.
She sustained critical injuries, with reports indicating over 90 per cent burns, and succumbed to them at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhubaneswar on Monday night.
Protestors and family members allege that the student had filed repeated complaints about the sexual harassment with the college principal and other authorities. However, her grievances were reportedly ignored, which they claim led her to take the extreme step. The core demand of the protest is immediate and stringent action against the accused professor and the college officials who allegedly failed to act on her complaints.
Official statements from the Bhubaneswar Police regarding the use of force or from the state government addressing the protestors’ demands are still awaited.
