Hyderabad: Accusing the University of Hyderabad (UoH) administration of apathy over a caste discrimination incident against a Dalit postgraduate student on campus, the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) has announced a relay hunger strike that began at 3 pm on Tuesday, May 5, at the Administrative Building.

The incident involves the physical assault and casteist abuse of Anuj, a student pursuing MA in Sociology, by a fellow student on December 11, 2025.

In a statement, ASA said that despite Anuj lodging a complaint with university authorities the very next day, it took months for them to even acknowledge the matter. This delay is a violation of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) mandate requiring grievances to be redressed within three months, the association said.

When action finally came, ASA said it amounted to little more than tokenism. The Anti-Discrimination Office imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the perpetrator and asked for a private apology. This, ASA pointed out, stands in stark contrast to the university’s track record of fining Dalit students up to Rs 10,000 for minor hostel infractions such as washing a bike on the premises.

Adding to the grievance, the perpetrator reportedly released a video calling on students to socially boycott Anuj from all university spaces, even after the complaint was filed.

“I was humiliated, beaten and hurled caste slurs. And even after I reported it, he put out a video asking everyone to boycott me. Do I not deserve this space?” Anuj said.

ASA has also accused the administration of suppressing the fact-finding committee’s report on the incident, and demanded its immediate release along with that of the SC/ST liaison officer’s findings.