Hyderabad: On his birth anniversary (of my son), I vow to continue the fight for the causes he held dear: to speak truth to power and to strive for a world where no mother suffers the loss I have endured, wrote Radhika Vemula while extending birthday greetings to her deceased son Rohith Vemula – a PhD scholar who died by suicide in January 2016, alleging caste discrimination the University of Hyderabad.

Rohith, now an icon of the anti-caste struggle, would have celebrated his 35th birthday. His mother, remembering her son, took to X (formally Twitter) to wish the departed soul, “On this solemn day, my heart aches with both the joy of remembering my beloved son Rohith and the pain of his absence. As Rohith's mother, I carry his memory with me every day, cherishing the moments we shared and mourning the dreams he could not fulfil.”

Radhika, according to many, now stands as a testament to resilience, and her sorrow has become an anthem against injustice.

Talking about Rohith emerging as her strength, the grieved mother continued, “Yet, amidst the sorrow, I find strength in his legacy—a legacy of resilience, courage, and unwavering commitment to justice. On his birth anniversary, I vow to continue the fight for the causes he held dear, to speak truth to power, and to strive for a world where no mother suffers the loss I have endured. Happy birthday, my dear Rohith. Your light continues to guide us, even in the darkest of times.”

As one reflects on the scholar's legacy on this occasion, he/she cannot help but imagine the potential trajectory the deceased could have taken. He might have completed his Ph.D. and embarked on academic pursuits in this nation or abroad. Maybe he would have become a professor at one of the universities, bringing Dalit representation to the forefront.

He could also have emerged as a powerful voice for the marginalised. His impassioned speeches are resonating across social media platforms. In these hypothetical paths, his spirit of resilience and advocacy would have continued to inspire and shape the discourse of justice and equality.

But unfortunately, a promising soul had to sacrifice his life while fighting for justice and equality.

An eminent member of the Ambedkar Students' Association, Rohith had dedicated his activism for the rights of Dalit students. He stood among five Dalit students embroiled in a tumultuous battle against their expulsion from the university's residential quarters.

They had been expelled by the university in 2015 after a member of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the far-right Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), alleged that they were involved in an altercation with an ABVP activist.

No Data on SC-ST Suicides: NCRB

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which is responsible for collecting and analysing data on crime, revealed a month ago that there is no specific data on suicides from the marginalised communities.

With regard to investigations carried out into the cases of suicides committed by the students belonging to the SC/ST communities over the past three years, Abbaiah Narayanaswamy, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, told Parliament in December last year that over 35,000 cases of students’ suicides were registered between 2019 and 2021. However, there exists no specific data on the actual number of SC/ST students who took their lives due to social discrimination.