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The Dalit scholar killed himselfone year ago
Protests rocked University of Hyderabad on the day of the first death anniversary of Rohith Vemula, research scholar who killed himself same day last year.
While a large gathering of students thronged the Rohith Sthupa — the structure put up in the deceased student’s memory — since Tuesday morning, the police and university security guards prevented the entry of more protesters by barricading all entrances to the university.
The campus walls sported stencil sketches of Vemula’s picture. Slogans were raised against the ‘culprits’ behind Rohith’s suicide.
Though the university authorities had denied permission for the event and asked all heads of departments to conduct classes, student protesters from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and Osmania University managed to get on the campus in advance.
‘Enact Rohith Act’
The classes on Tuesday were, however, not disturbed even as classroom campaigns to join the protest were conducted under the banner of ‘Justice for Rohith Vemula’ solidarity committee.
The meet witnessed the forceful opening of university gates by student protesters who were joined by Jaan Mohammed Saifi, brother of Akhlaq who was lynched in Dadri for allegedly consuming beef, and Radhika Vemula, mother of Rohith Vemula. Family of Najeeb, the student who went missing from JNU, and victims of caste atrocities in Una, Piyush Sarvaiya, Ramesh Sarvaiya and Jerry Sarvaiya, also attended the event to offer support.
Speaking at the meet, Ms. Vemula demanded enactment of the Rohith Act, legislation that is meant to prevent atrocities in educational institutions.
As the caste of Vemula was contended by government authorities in Telanagana, Dontha Prashanth, a student leader who was also expelled from hostel along with Rohith for allegedly assaulting an Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad student leader on campus, said: “Rohith had to commit suicide because of his Dalit identity and it should not be debated after his death. He had surpassed his identity as he had held up humanitarianism.”
The meet, called Rohith Vemula Shahadath Din, was inaugurated with students reading out the suicide note of Vemula.
A rally that started from the Shopping Complex to the main gate of the university witnessed the convergence of protesters from outside and inside the university at the main gate. The event was held at the main entrance of UoH, amid tight security. A section of faculty members of UoH also held a march on the campus.
Journalist detained, let off
Kunal Shankar, Frontline magazine’s Telangana and Andhra Pradesh correspondent, was detained by the police for “trespass” in the University of Hyderabad and was subsequently let-off.
A criminal case was registered against him by the Gachibowli police. Mr. Shankar was picked up and questioned for about an hour.
A written complaint was made to the Gachibwoli police about him “trespassing” as outsiders’ entry has been restricted in UoH by the administration, said Prof. Vipin Srivastava, Pro Vice-Chancellor, UoH.
‘FIR not given’
A copy of the First Information Report (FIR) was not given to Mr. Shankar, he said.
When asked about this, Madhapur Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vishwa Prasad said it would be provided to the correspondent if he gave a written application to the police, since he was the accused.
“A case was registered for trespass and violating the High Court order (barring outsider entry),” he added.
“Nobody was taking responsibility for his [Mr. Shankar] entry,” he added.
— source thehindu.com