Activists urge Karnataka CM to implement Rohith Act by April 14

Bengaluru: The Campaign for Rohith Act demanded that the state government take the necessary steps in instituting the Rohith Act. 

The campaign aims to address caste based discrimination is higher educational institutions through legislation dubbed the 'Rohith Act,' named after Rohith Vemula, a Dalit student who died by suicide due to caste based discrimination, in 2016.

The campaign, led by Dalit groups, advocates, student unions, and activists, said in a press release, issued in the city on Tuesday, "The Preamble of the Constitution given by Babasaheb Ambedkar promises equal opportunity and status to every citizen. But even after 75 years of the Indian Constitution, these two promises have not been fulfilled for the Dalit-Bahujan youth. The institutional murders of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi are a glaring example of the denial of this promise."

They pointed out that in 2021, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told the Lok Sabha members that during 2014-2021, 122 students died by suicide in IITs, IIMs, NITs and other central universities.

"Out of these 122, 68 students belong to SC/ST/OBC categories. Moreover, due to this denial of equality, thousands of Dalit-Bahujans are dropping out of higher education every year. According to government figures presented in the Parliament in December 2023, from central universities alone, more than 13,000 SC/ST/OBC students dropped out between 2018-2023," the statement explained. 

Implement the Rohith Act

They demanded that the Chief Minister announce necessary steps to implement the Rohith Act by the state government by April 14 (Ambedkar Jayanti), a committee with representatives of Dalit-student organizations be formed to implement the act, appropriate and prompt action should be taken to ensure that the higher education sector in Karnataka is free from discrimination and provides equal opportunities to all. "Annihilation of caste is our ultimate goal, and the government should take appropriate action for that," the campaign demanded.

The press meet was addressed by state co-ordinator of DSS Okkuta Mavalli Shankar; senior Dalit activist Basavaraj Kouthal; Ashwini KP, a United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Ashna Singh, assistant professor at National Law School of India University; Nandakumar P. student leader at Central University Kalburgi and representatives of student unions.