Protests rocked University of Hyderabad on the day of the first death anniversary of Rohith Vemula, the research scholar who committed suicide on January 17, 2016.
While a large gathering of students mobilised from across the campus thronged Rohith Stupa, a concrete structure erected last year in his memory, the police and university security guards prevented the entry of more protesters into the campus by barricading all entrances to UoH.
The event was held at the main entrance of UoH amid tight security. The campus walls sported stencil sketches of Vemula and slogans were raised demanding 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 and Osmania University managed to get inside the varsity campus in advance. The classes on Tuesday was, however, not disturbed.
The meet witnessed the forceful opening of University gate by student protesters who were joined by Jaan Mohammed Saifi, brother of Akhlaq who was killed in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh for allegedly consuming beef and Radhika Vemula, the mother of Rohith Vemula. Family of the student who went missing from JNU, Najeeb and victims of caste atrocities in Una, Gujarat, Piyush Sarvaiya, Ramesh Sarvaiya and Jeetu Sarvaiya also attended the event to offer solidarity.
Speaking at the meet, Radhika Vemula who was accompanied by Raja Vemula, Rohith’s brother, asked students of various campuses in the country to never give up on their lives.
“You should stand and fight and never end your lives. Your mothers can help you if you are in trouble. Confide in them always,” she said alleging that the university authorities including the Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao had not informed her of her son’s expulsion and other troubles.
Ms. Vemula was removed by the police while she tried to enter the university later in the night. The meet called Rohith Vemula Shahadath Din was inaugurated with students reading out the suicide note of Vemula. A section of faculty members of UoH had also held a march inside the campus in solidarity. Leaders of NSUI and Students Islamic Organisation too participated in the event. A total of 16 protesters were detained by the police.
