Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi visited the Hyderabad Central University on Tuesday and met the family of the Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula who had recently committed suicide. Addressing the students who were present protesting against the university authorities over Rohith’s suicide, Gandhi said that Bandaru Dattateya, the Union Minister for Labour and the MP of the constituency, and the Vice Chancellor of HCU should be punished for creating a situation which led to the suicide.
Here are the five important points from Rahul’s speech to the students.
1. Conditions for Rohith’s suicide have been created by the VC, the central minister and the university. The minister and the VC created the atmosphere which forced him to kill himself. “That means there is absolutely no merit on which the VC should remain in his position.”
2. The VC should have at least met Rohith’s family out of respect but, he did not and that was disrespecting the scholar’s death.
3. Ample compensation should be given to the family. The boy would have given his family a future, so the government should ensure that they get their due.
4. Universities should encourage pluralism in terms of opinion and individuals should be free to think the way they prefer regardless their economic, social background.
5. The university tried to curb the individual freedom. “I have not come here as a politician but as a young man expressing myself.” It is shameful that even after 60 years of independence, students are not free enough to think for themselves.