More than 120 people gathered in New York City on Friday, January 30, to attend From the Shadows to the Stars, a cultural memorial event commemorating the life and legacy of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, whose death in 2016 sparked a global anti-caste movement. January 30 marked Rohith Vemula’s birth anniversary.
The event was hosted at the iconic Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in Manhattan, with organisers noting the overlap between Dalit and queer communities and the importance of building solidarity between marginalised groups.
Organised and directed by Dalit leader, journalist and author Yashica Dutt, the event brought together artists, writers, activists, students and public officials for a programme combining documentary screenings, live performances, storytelling and visual art. The gathering aimed to create an explicitly anti-caste, Dalit-led cultural space, organisers said.
According to a press release, Dutt said organising a memorial for Vemula in New York carried personal significance. “As a Bhangi woman from a caste that is often overlooked for leadership, even within anti-caste spaces, organising this event in one of the world’s largest cities, where I first learned about Rohith and which I now call home, was a dream realised,” she said.
Speaking at the event, Former State Representative and New York State Comptroller candidate Raj Goyle highlighted the ongoing efforts to advance caste-protection legislation in New York State.
“Today we stand in a New York that is finally beginning to see the true diversity of the South Asian experience. But we cannot celebrate South Asian prominence, experience and success, without acknowledging that caste discrimination remains a shadow that casts a pall, in our workplaces, in our campuses, in our halls of power”, Goyle said.
The programme included a screening of filmmaker Deepa Dhanraj’s documentary We Have Not Come Here to Die, musical and theatrical performances featuring anti-caste themes, a reading of Vemula’s final letter, storytelling sessions by Dalit speakers and an exhibition of artworks by Dalit artists. Attendees also received a zine featuring essays and reflections by Dalit and anti-caste writers and scholars, and shared Indo-Caribbean food, including beef dishes, which organisers said highlighted the political significance of Dalit food practices.
Other speakers included educator and founder of SEA of Visibility Anu Annam; Radhika Nayar, a member of the Board of Directors at Sakhi for South Asian Survivors; Dalit feminist Shalini K; and Tejas Harad, founder and editor of the literary anti-caste publication The Satyashodhak.
Community organisations including the Ambedkar Center, Ambedkar King Study Circle, Hindus for Human Rights, Shri Guru Ravidas Sabha of New York, Indian American Muslim Council, India Civil Watch International and Sacred Democracy supported the programme.
Organisers said From the Shadows to the Stars marked not only a remembrance of Rohith Vemula but also created a historic opening for anti-caste spaces in New York, “which will hopefully lead to greater mainstream visibility for the Dalit community in the city and increased awareness around caste, within and beyond South Asian spaces.”
The meeting served as a foundational event demonstrating the power of Dalit-led cultural programming to shape public consciousness, build community, and inform policy conversations in New York and beyond, they said.