Alleging that the State and Union governments continue to turn a blind eye to the pain and suffering endured by students belonging to suppressed communities, chairman of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Society V. Raghavendra Rao said caste discrimination drove research scholar Rohith Vemula of Hyderabad Central University to end his life.
He was addressing teachers and students who gatheredat Dr. B.R. Ambedkar statue near Registrar office, at Andhra University to observe the first death anniversary of Rohith organised by the S.C., S.T. and B.C.-C Employees Welfare Association on Tuesday. He said a sequence of events happened on the university campus, compelling the research scholar to take the extreme step. “If the atmosphere in a premier university such as HCU is so depressing as to drive a student to commit suicide, we can understand the plight of those pursuing their studies in smaller towns,” he said
Professor of Department of Anthropology, AU P.D. Satya Pal Kumar expressed concern over how members of Ambedkar Students’ Association were branded ‘anti-national’ for voicing concerns.
President of S.C., S.T. and B.C.-C Employees Welfare Association T. Sharon Raju said the accused in Rohith’s death was not only allowed to go scot-free but also bestowed with an award at the science congress held recently in Tirupati. Further, he said caste-based discrimination persists in the institutions across India, including Andhra University.
After observing a two-minute silence in memory of Rohith, dalit leader K.B.R. Ambedkar, district secretary of CPI(M) K. Lokanadham and district secretary of CPI A.J. Stalin said their protest against injustice would continue until Rohith Vemula Act was promulgated.
