25 year old Dalit MPhil student from JNU commits suicide

by Pratik Sinha

Muthukrishanan Jeevanantham (Rajni Krish), a 25-year-old 1st year MPhil student of Centre for Historical Studies at JNU, has reportedly committed suicide at a friend’s house in Munirka Vihar in Delhi. Last year, on 17 January 2016, yet another Dalit Scholar, Rohith Vemula had committed suicide in University of Hyderabad. Another JNU student, Pallikonda Manikanta, wrote the following at 6:43 p.m on his Facebook profile.

Rajni Krish committed suicide. Not able to inform anything. DNT know wat to write. V r at munirka vihar
Rajni Krish committed suicide. Not able to inform anything. DNT know wat to write. V r at munirka vihar

At 7:05 p.m. Pallikonda wrote again on Facebook stating that Police were taking away Krish’s body and that his family’s contact numbers were needed urgently.

Hcu friends , we are in need of contact numbers of krish's family. Urgently. Plz help. Police are taking the dead body
Hcu friends , we are in need of contact numbers of krish’s family. Urgently. Plz help. Police are taking the dead body

In Krish’s last Facebook post on March 10th, 3 days before his death, he had written about the inquality in admission procedure and how students are denied a place to protest.

There is no Equality in M.phil/phd Admission, there is no equalitiy in Viva – voce, there is only denial of equality, denying prof. Sukhadeo thorat recommendation, denying Students protest places in Ad – block, denying the education of the Marginal’s. When Equality is denied everything is denied.

In yet another Facebook post on July 26, 2016, he had written about how difficult it was for him to get into JNU.

This is my 4rth year visit to JNU.
Three times I wrote JNU – M.A Entrance
2 Times I wrote JNU M.phil/PhD Entrance
2 Times I attend the interview…
You know what….
First two times I did not learnt English properly
But I tried because I just don’t want to give up..
Every year to visit JNU I worked many menial jobs
Saved the money like ant… and begged people to get money..
I never eat in train.
first two time I visited from Tamilnadu
And next two visit from HCU
Every year people used to wish me “this year you will get it”.
I tried too, because
I just do not want to give up, and I always think,
Hard work never fails..
Every year I used to sit under Nehru statue, and I used to ask Nehru..
Please Nehru Ji, we all from our family voting for congress..
Why you don’t want to educate me?
And last interview, after 11 minutes
one madam told me I am speaking “simple language”
This year in the interview 8 minutes I spoke, I answered all the question…
Three professors told me that “ You spoke Well”
Now I realized that
I am the only one from Government arts college
Came to study in central university
and I am the only one from salem district
Got selected in JNU
I am the only one from HCU got selected in Modern Indian history
Thank you so much my supervisor B Eswar Bonela, He really found research
Scholar inside me, He encouraged me to write my own proposal Which I wrote 38 times
there is lot of people to thank
For this historical moment,,, that is why I am going to write a Book
“A JUNKET TO JNU’

Many people wrote heartfelt condolence messages on his Facebook Profile.

I knew you and I were both pretending you were ok day before yesterday, Krish Rajini and I had hoped that pretence would carry you, you said now that you were reunited with your guitar everything would be ok, you said the dark circles under your eyes was lack of sleep and you had grown scarily thin because of working out, then I knew you were pretending so I said macha you have to compile your writings and produce a book, it will be a big thing and we have to organize a book release, so you said yes I have to first do my studies, first time in this kind of higher education institute no?.. and I remember first time we met was not in hcu but in jnu when you had come for admission, you really wanted to be in jnu.. and your writings show your disillusionment growing with time.. I don't know what to say.. then you took selfie with us.. I thought ki ok we will meet soon, he says he will come visit me in haryana, He will be ok till then.. and now that same living nightmare is happening of running through the list of my suicidal friends and the calculation of whom do I need to call everyday.. whom can I call just once a week.. because I think they are better.. as I am typing one daily call level of suicidal friend is calling.. so I better stop.. Krish Rajini you gave me strength that day when I was sitting near ad-block feeling low, because of my father's death. Now you have submitted to death. I have lost a dear friend and comrade in you. Can't forget the ever lively and funny that you were. Your death will not go in vein dear. Rest in Power dear. In December, The last time I met you Macha, you were shouting 'Neruppu Da' (I am fire Da). You are fire Krish Rajini and you will be remembered as fire! Brahmanvad, Jativad, Manuvad will burn in your fire! Krish Rajini now who will tell those stories of sorrow,pain, love and unfinished journeys? You simply buried thousands of unheard, unrecorded stories. I thought you will become an earthy story teller but you became a story..
About the Author

Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via E-mail at [email protected] and on Facebook at https://fb.com/freethinker.