A Decade of Grief and Unwavering Struggle
Radhika Vemula speaks with a quiet strength that belies her pain. "Life without Rohith has been most difficult," she says. Her son, a University of Hyderabad research scholar, died by suicide on January 17, 2016. "But we have been fighting for his cause ever since." Ten years have passed since that tragic day inside a hostel room on campus. The anniversary brings fresh waves of sorrow and renewed determination.
The Incident That Changed Everything
Rohith Vemula took his own life weeks after university authorities expelled him from the hostel. This action followed a dispute between his Ambedkar Students Association and the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. In his final note, Vemula made a powerful statement against caste discrimination. He wrote, "My birth was my fatal accident." These words continue to resonate across India's educational institutions.
For his family, life transformed completely. Radhika Vemula and her younger son Raja adopted Buddhism months after the tragedy. Recently, Radhika underwent stent implantation following a stroke. The physical and emotional toll remains evident.
A Brother's Altered Path
Raja Vemula describes his brother's death as a major turning point. He held a postgraduate degree from Puducherry and aspired to become a scientist. Suddenly, his carefree life ended. In 2017, he drove a goods tempo between Guntur and Tenali to earn a living. Eventually, he enrolled in law school and completed his degree in 2020.
Raja secured a software company job in 2024 but had to quit to care for his ailing mother. Now he drives rental cars and takes up social justice cases. "At that time, I was carefree, not knowing what life had in store for me. Now, I am a different person," Raja reflects. "My brother showed us the way, so my mother and I travel along this path of fighting for social justice for people who come from marginalised backgrounds."
The Unfulfilled Legislative Demand
Since Rohith's death, his family has consistently demanded government action. They want a Rohith Vemula Act to combat caste discrimination in academic spaces. Both Karnataka and Telangana Congress governments have shown interest in passing this legislation. However, political opposition has stalled progress.
The Ambedkar Students Association recently issued a strong statement ahead of the tenth anniversary. It declared, "Rohith Vemula's death was not an individual tragedy, it was [the] outcome of institutional caste violence enabled by university administration, political interference and the complicity of the state." The statement further noted that justice remains denied while discrimination continues through exclusion, surveillance, and silencing of Dalit-Bahujan voices.
Friends Whose Lives Were Shattered
Rohith's death profoundly affected his friends too. Four research scholars faced expulsion and social boycott alongside him. Dontha Prashanth, now a faculty member at a private university, expresses the collective loss. "Since 2016, life hasn't been as it could have been. Losing someone that close has made it difficult for every one of us," he says.
Sunkanna Velpula's story illustrates the harsh realities many face. Despite holding a PhD and post-doctorate degree, he found no teaching opportunities. "I had applied to several institutions but never got interview calls," Velpula explains. He turned to farming to provide for his family. When that proved insufficient, he started pig rearing. He now manages forty pigs and hopes to expand to one hundred by year's end.
Velpula also considers launching his own political party focused on social justice. "I want to remain active in politics," he states firmly. Fellow scholars Seshaiah Chemudugunta and Vijay Kumar Pedapudi were unavailable for comment.
Commemorating a Legacy
On January 17, the ASA and other student groups will organize 'Shahadat Din' to commemorate Rohith Vemula. The event will include families of two other students who died from alleged caste discrimination: Payal Tadvi and Darshan Solanki. Congress leader Jignesh Mevani will also participate.
Ten years have passed, but the pain remains raw. The fight for justice continues with undiminished intensity. Rohith Vemula's memory lives on through his family's resilience and his friends' determination. Their struggle against caste discrimination in India's educational institutions represents an ongoing battle for dignity and equality.
