‘Pass Rohith Vemula Act’: Rahul Gandhi writes to CM Revanth over caste discrimination in edu institutions
Rahul Gandhi’s letter follows a recent meeting in Parliament with Dalit, Adivasi and OBC students and instructors
By Sistla Dakshina Murthy
‘Pass Rohith Vemula Act’: Rahul Gandhi writes to CM Revanth over caste discrimination in edu institutions
Hyderabad: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has urged chief minister A Revanth Reddy to pass the Rohith Vemula Act, which was one of the Congress’ promises in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Rahul Gandhi’s letter follows a recent meeting in Parliament with Dalit, Adivasi and OBC students and instructors, during which he was reportedly informed that caste discrimination is widespread in colleges and universities. In his letter, Rahul Gandhi also cited Dr BR Ambedkar’s experience to underline the reality of caste discrimination.
Special act to protect students from caste discrimination
In a resolution adopted in its 2023 plenary, the Congress promised to pass a special act in honour of Rohith Vemula, a 26-year-old student from the University of Hyderabad who died by suicide on January 17, 2016, due to suspected caste discrimination. According to the resolution, the act would work to preserve and protect Dalits, Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and minorities’ right to education.
In his letter to CM Revanth Reddy (dated April 17), Gandhi stated that it was unacceptable to ‘murder’ young people. “The murder of bright young people like Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi and Darshan Solanki is simply not acceptable. It is time to put a firm end to this. I urge the Telangana government to enact the Rohith Vemula Act so that no child of India has to face what Dr BR Ambedkar, Rohith Vemula and millions of others have had to endure,” the letter said.
Siddaramaiah ready to implement Rohith Vemula Act
In an announcement on Saturday, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah stated that the Karnataka government is dedicated to implementing the ‘Rohith Vemula Act’ to eradicate caste-based discrimination in education. Additionally, he stated that he has directed his team and legal advisor to draft the Rohith Vemula Act, a law that will serve as a deterrent to caste discrimination in educational institutions.
