BENGALURU: Even as the Congress government in Karnataka has delayed releasing the draft of the Rohith Vemula Bill, Dalit activists, academics, and students have demanded that it be made public and implemented in educational institutions during the upcoming budget session. Activists have warned of massive protests if the government fails to act.
The “Campaign for Rohith Vemula Act,” active for the past two years, has prepared a “People’s Draft” aimed at providing equal educational opportunities for SC/ST students and eliminating caste discrimination in institutions. This draft has already been submitted to the state government during previous meetings.
Condemning the delay, Mavalli Shankar, State Convener of the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (Ambedkar Vaada), said, “The state government has already promised to implement the Rohith Act. It is regrettable that the draft has not yet been made public or discussed in the Assembly. This Act is essential to ensure equal opportunities in higher education for Dalit and Adivasi students. The Congress party, which swears by the Constitution, must take concrete steps to realise the values of the preamble. Enacting the Rohith Vemula Act would mark a historic step toward ensuring dignity, equality, and justice in Karnataka’s universities and colleges.”
Ashna Singh, Assistant Professor at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, who conducted research for the draft, said, “To break the caste hierarchy, reservation in government jobs was first implemented during the reign of the Mysore Wodeyars. Karnataka has a history of protecting Dalits, Adivasis, and Bahujans through special laws such as PTCL, KTPP, the abolition of the Devadasi system, and anti-social boycott laws. In this same spirit, implementing the Rohith Act is a necessity.”