Hyderabad University students boycott classes to mark Rohith Vemula's 10th death anniversary

HYDERABAD: A group of students of University of Hyderabad (UoH) boycotted classes and took out a march on the varsity campus here on Saturday to mark the 10th death anniversary of research scholar Rohith Vemula. Vemula hanged himself in a hostel room on the UoH campus on January 17, 2016.

His suicide rocked the nation with protests. "Students voluntarily boycotted classes and gathered at 'Velivaada' (North Shopcom) on the university campus supporting the Justice for Rohith Vemula movement commemorating 10 years of institutional murder of Vemula and ten years of justice denied", UoH Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) vice-president Dushyant said.

Radhika Vemula, mother of Rohith, Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani from Gujarat, students among others garlanded the Rohith Stupa at Velivaada, he said. 'Mashal Juloos' (torch procession) was also taken out on the campus by scores of students demanding justice for Vemula, he added.

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'Rohith Shahadath Din' is a symbol of resistance, assertion and commemoration. It brings together the voices of Dalit-Bahujan-Adivasi lives lost in educational spaces and Dalit self-respect movements, the ASA said.

It further said, "It has been a decade and yet, there has been no accountability from the University of Hyderabad, the Ministry of Education, and the Indian state for Vemula's death. We assert that until caste is annihilated within educational institutions, Vemula will continue to live as a symbol of resistance, and the struggle he represents will continue to grow".