Does JNUSU Intend to Draft The ‘Rohith Act’ Without Including HCU?

The Rohith Act is supposed to be an anti-discrimination law tailored for university campuses.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU) decided to host a national convention of students. According to an HT report, the objective was to form a committee to draft the Rohith Vermula act: “an anti discrimination law tailored for campuses.” The convention was also supposed to prepare a charter of student demands in the fields of education and employment.

The JNUSU, however, did not invite members of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) and other Dalit student leaders of Hyderabad Central University (HCU). This evidently did not please members of the ASA, who claimed to be taken by surprise.

This is very strange. How can they discuss the Rohith Vemula Act without consulting the ASA to which Rohith belonged? If this was done deliberately, it is very sad because this only helps the people who killed my brother.

Raja Vermula, Rohith’s brother to HT. 

Dontha Prashanth, the ASA leader who is leading the agitation in HCU, wants Kanhaiya and other upper caste activists who belong to the Bhumihar caste to work towards creating an anti-caste sentiment among upper castes.

I learnt only through the media that Kanhaiya and the JNUSU are holding a discussion on the Rohith Act...How will they draft a law to protect Dalits without consulting Dalits?...What can they tell Dalits about caste that they don’t already know?

Dontha Prashanth 

In a recent development, however, the convention has been deferred indefinitely.

After consultation with fellow activists and other organisations, we have decided to reschedule the convention for working out some logistical issues and for some further deliberation. We hope to build the broadest possible unity among forces fighting for social justice and equality to ensure that we come up with a comprehensive charter of demands for students and youth with regard to their issues of education and employment.

A statement put out by JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar.

Sources from JNUSU suggested poor planning has led to the postponement of the meet.

According to The Telegraph, student leaders of Students Federation of India, as well as other groups, were disappointed on learning that SFI-dominated unions in Hyderabad, Puducherry and Himachal Pradesh University, as well as their traditional bases in Tripura, Bengal and Kerela had not been invited.

Ambedkarite groups said they would disassociate themselves if the Ambedkar Students Association and the Joint Action Committee from Hyderabad did not participate.

A student leader to The Telegraph

A lot of people are wondering if there is an ulterior motive behind keeping HCU “out of the loop.” ASA co-convenor Munna Sannaki has been quoted by the HT as saying that the entire Ambedkarite and anti-caste movement was born in HCU. He went on to add that the fight is supposed to be against discrimination and should not become a fight between leaders for visibility.

Reacting to the mistrust, Rama Naga, the JNUSU general secretary, commented:

We are calling everyone for the convention. We will be e-mailing ASA and the JAC to attend the convention. We are also inviting the HCU students union.

He also later issued a statement declaring the convention had been “postponed indefinitely.”

After months of targeting by the government, our resources are depleted. We were in touch with student leaders across India but we could not ensure a truly representative gathering of students. We would not have been able to do justice to our main objectives of creating a drafting committee for the Rohith Act and a students charter’ in a democratic manner. Our goal was to bring together all students - be it in JNU or elsewhere.

Rama Naga to The Telegraph

Therefore, one can only understand in time to come if the postponement of the convention is simply due to logistical issues or if it is an attempt to keep HCU leaders out of loop.