BENGALURU: Acting on the advice of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday initiated steps to bring in legislation to check caste and creed-based discrimination in educational institutions, popularly known as Rohith Vemula Act.
“I have instructed my legal advisor and team to prepare a draft of Rohith Vemula Act,” Siddaramaiah wrote in his reply to Rahul’s April 16 letter.
“I too, deeply share your sentiments, we must join hands to bring the Dalits, Adivasis and Backward classes into the mainstream. That the oppressed classes must no more face any discrimination in our educational system. My government and I are committed to ensuring an egalitarian and equal society,” Siddaramaiah stated.
Quoting Dr Ambedkar
Rahul, quoting from Dr BR Ambedkar’s memoir, wrote, “I knew I was an untouchable, and that untouchables were subjected to certain indignities and discriminations. For instance, I knew that in school I could not sit in the midst of my classmates according to my rank, but that I was to sit in a corner by myself.”
Rahul said Siddaramaiah will agree that what Dr Ambedkar faced was shameful and should not be endured by any child in India.
“It is a shame that even today, millions of students from Dalit, Adivasi and OBC communities have to face such brutal discrimination in our educational system,” he pointed out.
“The murder of bright young people like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tedvi and Darshan Solanki is simply not acceptable. It is time to put a firm end to this. I urge the Kamataka government to enact the Rohith Vemula Act so that no child of India has to face what Dr B R Ambedkar, Rohit Vermula and millions of others have had to endure,” he had suggested.