Call grows for Rohith Vemula Act to address discrimination in higher education

Bengaluru: In the wake of continued allegations of caste-based discrimination against Dalit students across higher education institutions in India, activists and progressive associations gathered in the city on Sunday under the banner of the People’s Movement for Rohith Vemula Act.

Speaking at the meeting, Radhika Vemula, mother of Rohith, remembered her son as a calm, gentle, and sharp young man whose loss remains unimaginable.

She spoke on the struggles faced by Dalit students in higher education institutions in their pursuit of dignity and upward mobility. "I do not want any other mother to endure the pain I went through. I will continue to fight for justice and work to build anti-caste consciousness," she said.

Mavalli Shankar, leader of the Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (Ambedkarvada), accused the Union government of being "intolerant" of people’s struggles for basic rights.

"The BJP government’s communal agenda is hindering the development of scientific temperament. For instance, the Siddaramaiah government’s anti-superstition bill was defeated, and a bill seeking reservation for children of inter-caste marriages never materialised. Even government schoolchildren are denied nutritious food cooked by Dalit midday meal workers. With casteism so deeply ingrained in educational spaces, special legislation like the Rohith Act is essential to address these systemic issues," he said.

Dontha Prashanth, a friend of Rohith, recounted their shared experiences of social boycott at their university. "Rohith, three others and I were punished repeatedly for perceived wrongdoings. We were labelled ‘goons', a common insult used to demean Dalits across the country. Such humiliation systematically alienates Dalit and Adivasi students in university spaces, making the Rohith Act crucial," he said.

Writer Vikas Mourya, citing government data, argued that "Brahminism and capitalism work hand in hand to deprive Dalit-Adivasi-Bahujan students of access to quality education".

Lekha Adavi of the All-India Students Association spoke on the urgent need for a legal framework to tackle caste-based discrimination in higher education. "The absence of such a framework has resulted in many Dalit students dropping out of educational institutions," she said.

One of the key suggestions raised at the meeting was to introduce caste-based reservations in private universities to safeguard the rights of students from marginalised communities.