National Institute of Technology
Rourkela
No. NITR/DR/students/M/1673 Date: 24-08
Sub: Recent assault on our students at Hotel Radhika Regency –
What we need to do – Reg.
Dear Students,
On the evening of Monday the 16th August seven of our students belonging to Homi Bhabha, Swaminathan and Visvesvaraya Halls visited Hotel Radhika Regency [near railway station] for dinner. I understand the dinner party was being given by one of the students who has secured a good placement. As narrated to me by the students, they had their meals [with some drinks, which I do not recommend to any of my students] and around 10.30 p.m. asked for the bill. They requested the manager for a discount, which is often given by other restaurants to NIT students. They also pointed out deficiency in service and the waiters’ failure to post promotional discounts in advance.
The manager disagreed; the students insisted. This led to arguments and altercations; finally the students decided to pay the bill as claimed. The altercations were not only loud, but contained abusive sentences.
While three of the students went to Railway station to get auto rickshaws, four of them were busy collecting their belongings and moving out. At that time the entire staff of the hotel, and probably some invited outsiders, surrounded the students and started beating them. The four students ran out and met policemen outside the hotel. I understand, the beating continued in presence of the policemen, who took our boys to the plant site police station where they spent the whole night. Next day on receiving information through Security Officer, Chief Warden Prof. K.C. Pati went to the police station and brought them to the if hostels after giving appropriate guarantee. The management of Radhika Hotel, however, has a different story to tell. The owner of the hotel told me over telephone: “some boys were heavily drunk, broke glassware, beat up the staff, for which the manager handed them over to the police.”
The owner of such a large hotel is a responsible person and probably personally took major decisions regarding either beating the students or simply handing them over to the police unharmed. I have no reason to disbelieve him, except that he may have been misinformed by his manager and that I am still failing to find an explanation for the physical injury sustained by our students during the incident.
In this connection, I would like to share the following thoughts with all my students:
1) In spite of strong provocation, our students did not counter attack. I record my unequivocal appreciation of the attitude of our students and advise all of you to keep up this spirit.
Physical fighting has long ceased to be a part of civilized living. It is too dangerous. UCE, Burla, a few years ago, lost eleven students in a fight with bazaar-walas and two more in fight with medical college students. Protect your body for better things; it is too valuable to be used in fighting with ordinary men.
2) I request every student of NIT, as well as every teacher, staff, and visitor, to religiously avoid Hotel Radhika Regency and its sister concerns. Their management either believes in violence as a means of settling disputes or has no control on its staff. Either way, it is a dangerous place for ordinary law abiding people like us.
3) While food and drink is a personal choice of every individual, I still recommend that as long as you are a student; please refrain from alcoholic beverages, celebrations notwithstanding.
4) Please do not enter into an argument with any shop keeper. If he is arrogant and you do not like it, please come back, put it in writing and pass on to me. I assure you, I shall take-up the matter with the shop management and/or district administration. While I do believe that every child on this globe is born for equal opportunities in life, an NIT student, as I have often said, is born with superior talent, his destiny being to discharge superior actions. This superior being is not expected to argue with a lesser individual; it is his duty to guide them, to help them think higher.
5) I am sorry for the delay in sending this note to you. I have been terribly disturbed by this incident and I would like all students, faculty and staff to share the mental agony of our seven students, and to develop permanent safe habits [e.g., Avoiding business establishments who do not hesitate to beat up customers who argue for a price reduction.]
6) The last and the most important point is to refrain from any form of physical retaliation. We can not fight uncivilized conduct by being uncivilized ourselves. [No one has ever won a game by copying the opponent’s style of play.] We propose to first protect ourselves [our students, staff, alumni and visitors] by avoiding Hotel Radhika Regency and its restaurants and then taking-up the matter with the state civil and police administration. Patience is slow, but gives more permanent results.
With best wishes,
Prof. Sunil Kr. Sarangi
.
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