Trigger warning: death by suicide, casteism
January 17, 2016, was not a normal day in the history of Indian academia. It was the day when India hung its head in shame, by witnessing the death by suicide-cum-institutional murder of a 26-year-old PhD student and Dalit scholar, Rohith Vemula.
He succumbed to the casteist approach in the spaces of the University of Hyderabad (UoH). It’s been six years since his unfortunate demise.
The suicide of the Dalit scholar triggered the Indian academic agraharas and eventually, it questioned the disastrous functioning of casteism in India.
India has witnessed an endless number of massive protests after his suicide, against the treatment meted out to marginalised students in Indian campuses.
Can India forget this brilliant mind? Can the nation wash off its hand from the brutality it forced upon Rohith?
Carrying these questions in my mind, I spoke with Raja Vemula, Rohith’s younger brother and now, a lawyer practicing in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh.
Advocate Raja received his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in law, from the Pondicherry University and Andhra Christian College, respectively.
When I contacted Raja over the phone, he was driving a cab for a taxi service to meet his family’s financial needs. He remembered his politically vibrant brother.
Sofia Babu Chacko (SBC): How challenging has the journey of asserting your constitutional rights been, by fighting for your brother’s justice, from January 17, 2016 till now?
Raja Vemula (RV): In my brother’s case, I state that the fate of the case is moving at a snail’s pace. There is a saying: “justice delayed is justice denied“. I am unable to blame anyone, but I can perceive that the case has been very much shaped into a political form, rather than observing it as a caste crime.
In the light of the above, I can say that my family’s and my grievances have not yet addressed under the Constitutional Rights ensured in the Article 17 of Constitution of India.
Therefore, my journey hasn’t ended yet. The time to secure justice is the real challenge I am facing.
Hence, my journey is still going on with some hope, since I am optimistic and I am sure that the vision envisaged under the constitution of India, from the view point of Dr BR Ambedkar will be fulfilled.
This will happen only with the active participation of the society, whose hearts have been burning to bring Dr Ambedkar’s vision to life.
SBC: Casteist India failed Rohith Vemula by denying him justice even after six years since his demise. How is he still relevant in today’s times?
RV: Denying victims justice for the atrocities committed against them is not a new phenomenon in India. It is a fact that exists before and after Rohith Vemula. The failure in rendering justice is prevalent in casteist India.
It is prevalent not simply because of the people who follow casteism, but also because of the rulers who adopt a casteist mindset in ruling India.
Hence, Rohith Vemula is ever relevant and his death will always remain as a question in India, until we emancipate ourselves by capturing the power to rule India.
SBC: You got a job offer from the Delhi government earlier, but you rejected it. Why did you choose the legal profession? Do you think that being an advocate, you can bring about change and ensure justice for your community?
RV: Being an advocate by profession does not mean everything will be possible, to bring about a complete change in the caste problem in India. I have chosen it in order to render service in any possible way.
Undoubtedly, this profession has a role in protecting the society from the illegalities that are perpetrated by the ruling parties, who aim to exploit and extort poor people.
As far as receiving an offer that was made after my brother, Rohith Vemula’s death, it was rejected with a view to stand on the side of poor people.
SBC: Few years ago, five Dalit scholars who were socially boycotted, had set up a velivada (Dalit ghetto) in the UoH. Rohith became a martyr. Similarly, many marginalised students are protesting for their fair demands to be met. Why does our education system always need a ‘martyr’ figure to address such issues?
RV: From the Bhima Koregaon incident to my brother Rohith Vemula’s death, and subsequent, similar deaths—if such incidents ignite our community to rise to the level of holding power, then obviously, people will be born to achieve the said goal.
Casteist India plays a vital role in our education system. It has been so for decades together, by now. It feels unstoppable till some of our people fight back, continuously .
SBC: Marginalised mothers have been fighting to ensure justice for their sons, both in the case of Rohith as well as Najeeb Ahmed from JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University). How do such voices reverberate in India’s casteist, sexist, hegemonical space?
RV: Mother is always a mother. No-one can replace one’s mother. The loss that they face in the name of casteist atrocities, of losing their beloved sons, has raised them to the level of fighting for removing such losses.
Rohith Vemula’s death made his mother, and my mother, Radhika Vemula, question the mighty reign of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). Akin to her is Najeeb’s mother, Fatima Nafees ammi, also.
Undoubtedly, their voices and their cries engulf the society and play a big role in awakening people, to fight back against casteist atrocities.
SBC: Rohith moved from SFI (Students’ Federation of India) to ASA (Ambedkar Students’ Association) during his campus days. Were there any ideological conflicts behind that? Do you think that communist politics don’t represent Dalits adequately?
RV: The transformations of my brother, Rohith Vemula, were unknown to me, as I am not such a political thinker like he was.
From my observations, I can say that the politics which stands on the oppressed’s side should hold the power. Therefore, I can say that the ideology of Dr BR Ambedkar was my brother’s ideology, and he asked me to stand on that side.
On the other hand, he neither criticised nor whispered against communist or Marxist politics, to my knowledge.
SBC: What is the scope of implementing the Rohith Act in Indian campuses?
RV: Implementing the Rohith Act may not come true immediately, but if the same is achieved eventually, I can say that it will be a revolutionary Act for Dalit students in Indian campuses.
It can be said that it would help achieve the goal of ensuring Article 17 of the Indian constitution, by standing alongside the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act (SC/ST PoA Act).
SBC: Nobody is talking about student issues, such as their suicides in private, educational institutions. Many such cases went unreported, but in case of government universities, there is, at least, a voice in the form of student politics. Does activism help assert constitutional rights?
RV: By repressing student politics in educational institutions, the students have to face helpless circumstances.
In some cases, it leads to the development of suicidal thoughts, because there is no redressal for their grievances. They will never be addressed by their representative unions.
And finally, a student may take matters into their own hands. Therefore, I can answer your question about student activism by saying that it undoubtedly helps them to understand their rights.
It helps one understand the protections envisaged for them as a part of their constitutional rights, crafted in the able leadership of Dr Ambedkar.
SBC: What is your message on Rohith’s death anniversary for Indians who say: ‘stop speaking about caste, casteism doesn’t exist in India anymore’, ‘end reservation’ etc.?
RV: Rohith death itself is a question pointing towards the existence of casteism in India and its campuses. Hence, I say that reservations should continue.
Those people who falsely claim that there is no casteism existing in India, should shut their mouths. I would like to challenge them by saying that we will question casteism. It wont stop unless casteism is buried forever.