NEW DELHI: On the 10th death anniversary of Dalit student Rohith Vemula on Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the reality for youngsters from the community has not changed on campuses and stressed the need for an anti-discrimination law.
Vemula, a 26-year-old Dalit student of the University of Hyderabad, died by suicide on January 17, 2016, following alleged harassment.
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "Today marks 10 years since Rohith Vemula's passing. But Rohith's question still resonates in our hearts: Does everyone in this country have an equal right to dream?"
"Rohith wanted to study, he wanted to write. He wanted to understand science, society and humanity to make this country a better place. But this system could not tolerate a Dalit's progress," the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
Institutionalised casteism, social exclusion, daily humiliation, language that reminded him of his "place" and inhumane treatment -- "this was the poison that pushed a promising young man to a point where his dignity was stripped away and he was left alone", Gandhi said.
"And today? Has the reality for Dalit youth changed? The same contempt on campus, the same isolation in hostels, the same feeling of inferiority in classrooms, the same violence -- and sometimes, the same death. Because caste is still the biggest admission form in this country," he added.
That is why the Rohit Vemula Act is not just a slogan but a necessity, the Congress leader asserted.
"So that caste-based discrimination in educational institutions becomes a crime, strict action is taken against the perpetrators and the freedom to break, silence and exclude any student on the basis of their caste is ended," he said.
This fight is not just in Parliament, it is a fight of the youngsters on campuses and "it is our fight", Gandhi said.
"Dalit youth -- raise your voices, organise yourselves, stand with each other. Demand: Implement the Rohit Vemula Act now. We need an anti-discrimination law now," he stressed.
The Congress governments in Karnataka and Telangana are in the process of implementing the law as soon as possible, he said.
"We want an India that is just, humane and equal -- where no Dalit student has to pay for their dreams with their life. Rohith, your fight is our responsibility," Gandhi said.
The death of the 26-year-old Dalit student on January 17, 2016, triggered a nationwide agitation against casteism in institutions of higher learning.
Gandhi had joined the student protests over Vemula's suicide.