Dalit scholar suicide: Rahul Gandhi fasts with students, says Rohith and Mahatma Gandhi faced similar agony

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS of trying to crush the spirit of students by imposing "one idea from the top", Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday likened the Rohith Vemula suicide case with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Congress Vice President, at the end of his nearly nine-hour fast in solidarity with agitating students of Hyderabad Central University, also advocated that a law be enacted to end massive discrimination in universities. "My main opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS is that they are trying to crush the spirit of Indian students and youngsters by imposing one idea from the top," Rahul said at the end of his fast. "Please speak about your idea. Talk about your idea. Put your idea in the marketplace of idea," Rahul said as he opposed forcing of ideas on students. He said students should be given due dignity and respect as they are not "foolish and stupid".

"They do not need anybody, including me, to tell them what to do. That is the spirit for which I came here. I spent a day with you. The issue here is not about one student", he said putting his weight solidly behind the agitating students as he visited the campus for the second time in as many weeks. Noting that today is not only Rohith's birthday, but also Gandhiji's death anniversary, he said the Father of the Nation lived his life searching for truth and understanding of the world. "He lived like that and fought for that all his life. And he was eventually killed by very forces they did not want him to speak what the truth was aloud. It's exactly the same thing that has been done to Rohith," the Congress leader alleged.

Rahul first joined the agitating students in a candle light vigil past midnight to mark the birthday of Rohith, who would have turned 27 today. He lit a candle before the portrait of Rohith at the protest site and spent about two hours past midnight with agitating students and family of the research scholar, who committed suicide on January 17. The Congress leader returned to the protest site in the morning to undertake the fast.

Image courtesy PTI

Rohith was looking for truth regardless of his community or age, Rahul said, adding, "Nobody has the right to take way your right to search for truth." "What has happened here (HCU) is exactly what is done to Gandhiji. This bright young man was looking to understand his world...did not want him to speak aloud about what he sought. They did not want him to express the truth..the truth that he sought in this institution. There was so much passion in him". 

Stating that there was discrimination against many different types of people, including Dalits, tribals and women, Rahul said it was time India took action to curb this discrimination in universities and colleges. "I would like to give a suggestion to Prime Minister Narendra Modiji...you have to unleash the power to all these students. In order to make this country powerful, look into the possibility of passing a law to stop discrimination at universities," he said.

Recalling his talk with a Japanese co-passenger on a plane, Rahul said the latter had told him that since there was caste system present in Indian factories as well, the amount of innovation that industry from his country comes out with, cannot be found in India. "What is going on in this University between this discrimination and the idea of 'Make in India' and the idea of 'Connecting India' and the idea of 'Start-up India'. These are not separate ideas, they are the same idea. If you are in India, where discrimination is taking place, where people are being crushed because of where they come from, who they are and what religion they come from...you will never, ever be able to build a modern economy? It is a fantasy," he said.

"They might have different religions...different community and States, but nobody here is an anti-national. So, when you think and call somebody an anti-national, you are not only doing disservice to him, but also to me and everybody here because you might not believe all of us want to make this country strong. "We are all Indians and we don't like this division being created and we are interested in making this country progress," Rahul said.

Maintaining that the Dalit scholar's was not an isolated case and there was discrimination in other universities as well, he said, "Rohith is there in every single institution in this country. Rohith is from different religion, different community. What has happened to Rohith, it will happen to you in this country, no matter who you are."

On his second visit to HCU today, Rahul was not accompanied by party leaders, unlike his first visit on January 19, when there were state Congress leaders with him. A large group of students also undertook a hunger stike, along with Rahul, whose latest move was seen as a fresh offensive to turn the heat on the BJP. 

Image courtesy PTI

Rahul's hunger strike came a day after HCU's In-charge Vice Chancellor Vipin Srivastava proceeded on leave, six days after being given the responsibility after VC Appa Rao Podile went on indefinite leave. The next seniormost professor Dr M Pariasamy was given the charge. Shouting slogans, ABVP activists protested against Rahul's visit to the campus even as it called for a "bandh" in Telangana colleges.

Gachibowli Police Station Inspector J Ramesh Kumar said 24 ABVP activists were "dispersed". "They were not detained. They were identified and dispersed from there." The BJP's student wing called for a bandh of colleges in Telangana in protest against "politics over dead bodies" by Rahul in the HCU. "ABVP strongly opposes the politicisation being done by Rahul Gandhi in Central University at a time when peaceful atmosphere is returning in the university," ABVP national executive member Kadiam Raju said.

Meanwhile, speaking at the protest venue at HCU, Rohith's mother Radhika thanked "all those who have come from different places" to express solidarity. Stating that she raised her children by working as a labourer, she thought that Rohith would become an IAS officer.

"Rohith told me that he would get a job soon. I admitted him in this University for that purpose," she said. But the University gave me his dead body. No other student should suffer like this". She called for a special act to ensure legislative protection for students from marginalised communities in higher educational institutions. "Let's fight together", Radhika said.