Telangana Urged To Intervene In Rohith Vemula Case

The Hyderabad Activists and Intellectuals (HAI) society today requested the Telangana government intervene and bring back the Hyderabad Central University (HCU) on a path that nurtured academics in a space that was free and democratic.

The HAI organized a round table conference at Sundaraiah Vignana Kendram on Sunday to discuss "police inaction" in the Rohith Vemula suicide case and on the "false cases" lodged against the faculty and students.

UoH professors Haragopal, P L Vishweshwar Rao, M Kodandaram, D Narasimha Reddy, G Nancharaiah, Chakradhar Rao, Kancha Ilaiah, Susie Tharu, Kalpana Kannabiran, V Ramakrishna, Seshan, Rama Melkote, Jayadheer Thirumal Rao, Chukka Ramaiah, K Rama Chandra Murthy, Kaki Madhava Rao, Mallepally Laxmaiah and Gogu Shyamala attended the conference.

Speaking on the occasion, the speakers said that false cases were filed against several students and also two faculty members. Most students who were arrested belonged to dalit and other minority communities and come from socially deprived backgrounds. In the interest of these students, who are largely first generation entrants into universities with fair share family responsibilities.

They requested the government to see to it that these cases were dropped immediately. They said that these cases were filed against them for merely voicing their dissent, and it would affect their career.

Speaking on the Roopanwala Commission's findings, they said that the National Commission of Scheduled Castes declared that Vemula was a dalit of the "mala" caste based on depositions of the District Collector and relevant documents.

The NCSC even asked the police to expedite the investigation into Vemula's suicide case, they said. Despite this, there had been no progress in the prob.

The meeting urged the government to fulfill its constitutional obligation by invoking the SC / ST Atrocities Act and deliver justice.