As a part of my normal routine, like many other students at the University of Hyderabad, I came out of my hostel room to have a cup of tea at Shopcom. "You're a media student, why don't you do something about this issue?" questioned my friend Munna Sanaki, an active member of ASA (the Ambedkar Students Association). This January 17, the day when Rohith Vemula appears to have decided to kill himself. As I sipped the hot tea, looking over at the Dalit students protesting against the administration, reckless and naive about the issue, I thought to myself, maybe I should get involved. I asked Munna, "Ok, so tell me what is going on?" He explained haphazardly, and I left the tea stall thinking over the issue, only to hear the news the next morning that Rohith had committed suicide.
I was dumb struck. Condolences and homage for Rohith all around me. I cursed myself all day long that I could not do anything for him. I was deeply hurt. After all, we can only worry about two things: first, concerns we can do something about, and second, concerns beyond our control. Rohith was gone; the least I could do was understand what he wanted or what was missing that led him to commit suicide. Thinking I must do something, I rushed to the place where protests were happening and joined the group of protesters against the university administration.
We walked shouting slogans together in a rally from the North campus to the South campus. I usually do not walk, but the guilt in my heart gave me strength for three kilometres. I had no idea where that energy came from. I think it was Munna's comment that taught me a lesson - sometimes, sarcasm forces us to really think about and express who we are, and what is important to us. Joining the protest offered me a little bit of relief.
The JAC (Joint Action Committee) was formed. Many of the students from my own department of communication conducted the meeting, and we decided to help the JAC. We collected all the documents from the suicide note to the caste certificate of Rohith at our help desk - all the material against "the institutional murder". We supplied copies of these documents to the print and electronic media to expose the truth behind the incident. Soon, it became an issue of national interest for all newspapers and TV news channels. Political leaders poured into the campus in solidarity and support, and prominent among them were Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. Our campus became a political playground; however, protesters did not endorse any political party and just accepted their support and solidarity.
In a couple of days, the suspension of four students who had been punished with Rohith was lifted, and the issue got enough media attention. But what led to a debate and discussion were the issues of marginalized people, casteism and the attitudes of the people in power and governance. People in power repeated what they always do - they tried to deviate from the issue itself. As we witnessed in the lynching of Akhlaq in Dadri, instead of sympathizing and condemning the killing, the meat that was found in the refrigerator in his house was sent for a lab test to justify a mob murder. In Rohith's case, a dead man's caste certificate was being verified instead of arresting the culprits who caused the institutional murder in my opinion.
I love my university, and it is my second home due to the fact that it teaches me how to fight for injustice, how to express myself and ask for my rights. The only regret that I have as a family member of this university is that some of our students could not learn those very lessons of humanity and equality. Rohith's suicide note did not shake them a bit, they preferred sleeping and watching movies while their fraternity cried and protested for justice.
My take away from the whole incident is that we never needed this to be a national issue, we did not need media attention, and we did not need political leaders to come to our campus to support us and play a political card either. If we behaved like a family, all we needed was a genuine conscience of equality and justice that we ourselves can achieve like a family without any external factor. Perhaps, hopeless and tired, this is what Rohith meant in his note, he was referring to the state of mind we people live in "...Our feelings are second handed. Our love is constructed. Our beliefs colored. Our originality valid through artificial art. It has become truly difficult to love without getting hurt."
We are ourselves accountable for our actions, responsibilities, and goals and without being biased, on a truly humanitarian ground, we can achieve anything that is important for the world we live in. I don't know if Rohith will get justice, but what will remain here is the essence he personally inculcated my heart and for many out there.
Jai Bheem!
(Shahamat Hussain is an MA communications student at University of Hyderabad.)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.