HYDERABAD: One face that comes to mind when one talks about the Justice for Rohith movement is that of Radhika Vemula, mother of the deceased Dalit research scholar. For the last one year she has travelled through the length and breadth of the country to garner support for the movement. And Radhika shows the true essence of being a woman on this international women’s day. However, the woman refuses to sit down for rest as she is all set to take out a month-long Dalit Swabhiman Rath Yatra in a few days.
The yatra, scheduled to begin on March 14, will cross the dalitwadas of Telangana and AP. When asked what she aims to achieve at the end of the yatra, Radhika told Express: “As Dr Ambedkar had said, an idea needs as much propagation as a plant needs watering, we are taking the yatra to awaken conscience against the injustice meted out to my son and lakhs of Dalit mothers like me.”
‘Radhika Amma will lead the yatra’ Dontha Prashanth, Ambedkar Students’ Association leader and Rohith’s friend from UoH, said the same identity, which Rohith had called his ‘fatal accident’, is being ridiculed by the government. “Radhika amma has decided to lead Justice for Rohith movement and also the Rath Yatra that ends on April 14, marking Ambedkar Jayanti. She has always been the face of the movement. Rohith’s brother Raja’s auto will serve as the rath during the yatra.