Dalit Student's Suicide: What we know about Rohith Vemula's death

On Sunday, Rohith Vemula, a 26-year-old Dalit scholar, who was expelled by the University of Hyderabad, a month ago, committed suicide. He was embroiled in a fight between two student groups. The death led to tensions on campus where students had been protesting the expulsion of five PHD scholars, including Vemula, for the last 12 days. The protest had lasted all night and prevented the cops from taking the body for post mortem.

Many took to social media to express their grief, with Kavita Krishan of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), wrote on Facebook:

"Utterly shocked to learn of the suicide of Rohith Vemula, one of 5 Dalit students victimised by HCU at ABVP and BJP Govt instigation for organising a beef festival. Rohit and I had had a conversation on Facebook just on Dec 18, and now a month later, he's gone. This is unconscionable, it's institutional murder. The MHRD must answer - first Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle then FTII and then HCU - Dalit students and protesting voices being victimised for their political and social opinions and activism - and now it's claimed a life."

A petition on Charge.org, demanded the suspension be revoked and claimed that the students were thrown out of the hostel and ostracised and called the expulsion an absolute injustice. After being expelled, the students have been put up in a make-shift tent.

Who was Rohith Vermula?

A 26-year-old PhD student, he was among the five students suspended by the administration. His Facebook profile reveals he was fan of atheist cult hero Christopher Hitchens, Karl Marx and BR Ambedkar. Like many other youngsters, he had also changed his profile picture to support same-sex marriages.

Trouble on campus

Hyderabad University has been brewing with trouble for the past year with ABVP and Ambedkar Students, Association and Telangana SFI clashing over different issues. Events such as the Kiss of Love, beef festival and a memorial for Yakub Memon were opposed by the ABVP

Apparently Vemula was suspended after a fight broke out between ASA (of which Vemula was a member) and AVBP. Apparently, ABVP president Sushil Kumar had put up a post calling ASA members ‘goons’ after the student’s organisation screened Nakul Shawney’s documentary titled Muzaffarnagar Abhi Baki Hai. The ABVP reportedly disrupted the screening and called it anti-Hindu. The post didn't go down well with ASA supporters. Kumar, also a PhD student, alleged assault by ASA members, which they said was a false claim. Earlier, the university had cleared him after an initial inquiry but reversed its decision in December. Students claim the authorities conducted a flawed investigation supporting ABVP students and led to the expulsion of the five ASA members including Rohith.

(Read: Here's what Rohith Vemula wrote in suicide note)
 

How  the BJP is involved?

Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya had earlier written a letter to HRD Minister Smriti Irani alleging that the university had become a ‘den of casteist, extremist and anti-national politics’. Written in 2015, it read: "This could be visualised from the fact that when Yakub Memon was hanged, a dominant students union, that is Ambedkar Students Union had held protests against the execution. When Shushil Kumar, president, ABVP, protested against this, he was manhandled and as a result he was admitted in hospital. What is more tragic is that the university administration has become a mute spectator to such events."

Earlier on Monday, he said: “Some anti-social elements were disrupting peaceful atmosphere within the university, I wrote to the ministry seeking action against that.”  "This suicide does not have any link with BJP. The inquiry report will bring out the truth," he said. An FIR for abetting suicide was lodged against Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya.

Reactions

The CPI condemned Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and said the leader’s position had become untenable. "An FIR has been registered against the Minister. That means there is something in it. Since an FIR is there against the Minister, his position has become untenable. The government will have to answer," CPI national secretary D Raja said. Raja described the entire episode as "shocking" and claimed that Dalit students do face discrimination at "many institutions" in the country. He said that India cannot emerge as a nation as long as caste exists in the country.

"That is why Ambedkar is correct when he had said caste is anti-national. As long as caste exists, India cannot emerge a nation, forget civilisation. This is highly condemnable. There must be severe action culprits involved," he said. Congress also demanded his immediate sacking. "Now an FIR has been registered against the Union Minister and the letter written by him prima facie amounts to abetment of suicide, Congress demanded that Dattatreya resigns with immediate effect, failing which the Prime Minister should sack him", party spokesman R P N Singh told reporters.

Meanwhile, PL Punia the chairman of the National SC/ST commission on Monday assured that justice will be delivered. He said: “The circumstances under which the student committed suicide are unfortunate. There is absolutely no proof that he was involved in any scuffle, even the security staff said that the allegations levelled against him were false. Despite all that, he was suspended.” Asserting that justice needs to be delivered at all cost, he said that the vice chancellor needs to be removed and assured that the late scholar’s family will be give all aid and assistance possible. Meanwhile, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Smriti Irani has flatly refused any intervention by the government in the Dalit scholar’s suicide and said that a two-member team has been sent to the varsity from the ministry to take stock of the situation.

Under attack over the suicide of a Dalit student, HRD Minister Smriti Irani launched a counter offensive accusing rivals of instigating students across the country on caste lines even as political leaders made a bee line to Hyderabad University. Claiming that an attempt was being made to project the issue as Dalit versus non-Dalit confrontation, she also dismissed the demand for her resignation.

She asserted that she will not make any 'political' statement at the moment, since law and order was a subject of the state.

"This is not a dalit versus non-dalit issue as being projected by some to ignite passions.... A malicious attempt is being made to show it as a caste battle which it is not," the Human Resource Development Minister said. She said even the suicide note by Rohith Vermula, the dalit student, did not mention any MP or political party responsible for his decision to take the extreme step.

Congress spokesperson Deepender Singh Hooda said that instead of apologising, Irani described the whole issue as Dalit vs non-Dalit, which is shameful. "The culpability of Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani should be investigated by a sitting high court judge and the Union Labour Minister should be immediately sacked," said Hooda.

Meanwhile Arvind Kejriwal targeted the Modi government targeted the Modi government. “It’s not suicide. It’s murder. It’s murder of democracy, social justice n equality.Modi ji shd sack ministers n aplogoize to the nation,” the Delhi CM tweeted on Tuesday.“Modi govt constitutionally duty bound to uplift dalits. Instead Modi ji’s ministers got five dalit students ostracised n suspended. 

Rahul Gandhi targeted Irani and Dattatreya, saying that the ministers and the VC didn't act fairly and "that forced the scholar to take the extreme step". Gandhi, who flew into Hyderabad in the morning alleged that the institution, instead of operating fairly, has used its power to "crush" the students' freedom of expression.