Rohit Vemula was an Indian PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad who committed suicide on 17 January 2016. He was a Dalit activist and a member of the Ambedkar Students' Association (ASA), which fights for the rights of Dalit students on the campus. He was one of five Dalit students who were suspended by the university after being accused of assaulting a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. His death sparked protests and outrage across India and gained widespread media attention as a case of state-sponsored discrimination against Dalits in Indian universities.
Rohith Vemula's death had a significant impact on India's politics, as it triggered a wave of protests and resistance against caste oppression and discrimination in higher education institutions. His suicide also exposed the role of the ruling BJP and its student wing ABVP in creating a hostile environment for Dalit and minority students on the campus. His death also became a rallying point for various political parties and leaders, especially from the opposition, who criticised the BJP government for its insensitivity and intolerance towards Dalit issues. Some of them, such as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, visited the university and met with Vemula's family and friends to express their solidarity¹. Vemula's death also inspired many Dalit and Bahujan students and activists to assert their identity and rights, and challenge the dominant caste hegemony in the academia and society. His spirit of resistance and his powerful suicide note continue to haunt and inspire many people who seek justice and dignity for the oppressed and marginalised sections of India.
