Rohith’s Comrades Slam Roopanwal Commission’s ‘Casteist’ Report

The Ambedkar Students’ Association (ASA) of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) has slammed the report submitted by the Ashok Kumar Roopanwal Commission, which claimed that research scholar Rohith Vemula was unhappy with “worldly affairs” and his own problems led him to kill himself.

The report vindicates both the then Union Human Resource Development Minister, Smriti Irani, and UoH Vice Chancellor Podile Appa Rao. The Roopanwal report also alleges that Vemula’s mother, Radhika, “branded” herself as a Dalit to avail the benefits of reservation.

Condemning the report, S Munna, president of ASA, said the commission was supposed to investigate how and why the Dalit scholar killed himself but instead investigated his caste.

Also Read: Rohith Vemula Documentary Uploaded Online After I&B Screening Ban

There were no specific directions given on investigating the case along caste lines. The investigation was supposed to be on why and how he killed himself, and if there is a mechanism to deal with discrimination on the campus. But, Roopanwal crossed his jurisdiction.  

S Munna, president of ASA

Roopanwal’s report follows another report by the District-Level Scrutiny Committee (DLSC) which was released in February this year, alleging that the caste certificate was “fraudulently” obtained by Vemula and his mother.

Vemula’s caste came under the scanner after his brother Raja’s certificate claimed he was a ‘Vaddera’, a caste which is categorised as OBC in Andhra Pradesh.

It was later revealed that Vemula’s father, Mani Kumar, was a Vaddera, and his mother a ‘Mala.’

Kumar was an alcoholic who deserted his family once he realised that Radhika was a Dalit, the family claimed. Therefore, Vemula, who never knew his father, claimed his mother's caste.

Munna said Vemula identified with his mother who had brought him up.

In a video, Rohith himself says that he’s a Dalit and has been brought up by his mother, not father... We feel that Roopanwal’s report shows a caste attitude towards Dalits. They’re not even recognising him as a Dalit.

The report also stated that Vemula was unhappy with ‘worldly affairs’ had led him to kill himself. Refuting this, Munna said:

No suicides will be personal, that the commission should understand. One month before he committed suicide, Rohith had sent a letter to the Vice Chancellor of University of Hyderabad about how Dalits are discriminated and humiliated in the campus. He asked for sodium oxide and a rope to commit suicide due to the discrimination.

“The whole incident was falsely reported from the beginning to the end,” Munna said, adding that neither the police nor the government has taken any initiative to investigate Vemula’s suicide.