Protests rocked University of Hyderabad on the day of the first anniversary of Rohith Vemula, the research scholar who killed himself same day last year.
While a large gathering of students thronged the Rohith Sthupa since morning, the structure erected the previous year in the deceased student's memory, the police and university security guards prevented the entry of hundred more protesters into the campus by barricading all entrances to UoH.
The campus walls sported stencil sketches of Vemula's picture and slogans raised were in support of punishment to 'culprits' behind his suicide.
Though the university authorities had denied permission for the event and had asked Head of the Departments of all Schools to conduct classes, student protesters from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and Osmania University had managed to get inside the varsity campus in advance. The classes on Tuesday was, however, not disturbed even as classroom campaigns to join the protest was done under the banner of ‘Justice for Rohith Vemula’ solidarity committee.
The meet, however, witnessed the forceful opening of University gate 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, the 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 solidarity.
Speaking at the meet, Ms. Vemula demanded enactment of Rohith Act, a legislation which is meant to prevent atrocities in Indian 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 Vemula 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.
During the course of the venting a rally which commenced from 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, amidst tight security. An earlier meet was held in the city with the support of Kula Nirmulana Porata Samithi. A section of faculty members of UoH had also held a march inside the campus in solidarity with the students.
