HYDERABAD: Recalling Rohit Vemula’s suicide note, in which he had written that his birth was a ‘fatal accident’, members of the Kula Nirmulana Porata Samithi (Caste Annihilation Struggle Committee) said his words applied to all Dalits. “This is to remind the society that one section of the population has been buried or kept aside,” they said. Members of the committee gathered at the Sundarayya Vignana Kendram to commemorate Rohit Vemula’s second death anniversary and point out the struggle that needs to be carried forward.
Prof Sujatha Surepalli from Satavahanah University, who recently came under attack from online trolls, said that Rohith’s words are true as Dalits die a hundred deaths. “Untouchability kills us at 100 different instances. When we are barred from entering temples, denied water from the same tap, or made to live outside village premises. The Velivada on the University campus said clearly that it also exists in academic circles. Unfortunately, Vemula had to die for us to realise this,” said Surepally.
“The incident that led to his death is not just related to his caste, but also something that took away his right to democracy. We have to fight these fascist forces that are curbing our rights on academic campuses. Vemula’s death has reminded us of the responsibility as most of us often shy away from talking about anything related to caste,” she added. “This fight is not just the responsibility of Dalits.”
Prof S Durga Bhavani, one of the faculty members from University of Hyderabad shared that in the last two years, Sankranthi vacation has been more about feeling nostalgic than enjoying the festival mood.
“We are reminded that only a handful of us interacted with those students and setting up a ‘Velivada’ on the University campus gives a clear picture that casteism exists on the premises,” she said.
She also talked about a survey that was conducted in a few cities and states in the North to determine the existence of caste system in the society, which showed that at least 50 per cent of the population practice casteism. “We need to highlight this because a lot of people believe that casteism doesn’t exist and often they are the ones who formulate rules on University campuses, one of the reasons how it permeates into the society,” she added.