18-year-old Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras student, Fathima Latheef from Kollam, allegedly succumbed to religious discrimination by the faculty of IIT Madras on November 8, Saturday.
Fathima committed suicide in her hostel room alleging three IIT professors as the cause of her death. According to the suicide note retrieved by the Chennai Police, Fathima mentioned the name of three professors- Sudarshan, Hemchandran, and Brahme for pushing her to the edge of committing suicide.
Fathima was a first-year undergraduate student at IIT Madras pursuing humanities. She committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan.
It was initially reported that the reason behind Fathima’s suicide was her failing in one of the subjects in her latest semester examination.
Parents’ Stance On The Suicide
Abdul Latheef, father of late Fathima alleged that Tamil Nadu police has taken the matter lightly, her parents took the matter to Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan and have sought his intervention to ensure fair probe in their daughter’s suicide.
CM Vijayan while offering his condolences assured the grieving parents that he would take the matter with his Tamil Nadu counterpart.
“We were assured by the CM that the matter would be taken up with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami as a state’s issue,” said Latheef in a press meet held in Kollam. The family also pointed out the suicide note left behind by Fathima and expect a strict action to be taken against the professors who she has stated as the cause of her death.
“After reading the message and browsing her phone further, we were able to gather the information that my daughter was under constant harassment by one of her professors, who has hurt her dignity and it is the sole reason for her untimely death,” said Latheef to media.
Twitter Outrage
Days after the suicide note of Fathima surfaced on social media platforms, Twitteratis blamed the Hindutva-driven professors for Fathima’s suicide. #JusticForFathima trended on Twitter and netizens also called out the IIT for being Islamophobic.
IIT Madras, in a brief statement, expressed grief over the girl’s death.
“IIT Madras faculty, staff and students extend their deepest condolences to the family, friends and other near and dear ones of the deceased student. This is indeed an irreparable loss to the institute and the family. May her soul rest in peace.”
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