रोहित वेमुला पर जस्टिस रूपनवाल कमीशन रिपोर्ट - सिर्फ रोहित की "जात" पता लगाने का दावा :

रोहित चक्रवर्ती वेमुला (30 जनवरी 1989 - 17 जनवरी 2016) हैदराबाद विश्वविद्यालय में एक दलित पीएचडी छात्र था। हैदराबाद सेंट्रल यूनिवर्सिटी के पीएचडी छात्र रोहित वेमुला ने 17 जनवरी 2016 को फांसी लगाकर ख़ुदक़ुशी कर ली। रोहित को उनके चार अन्य साथियों के साथ कुछ दिनों पहले हॉस्टल से निकाल दिया गया था। इसके विरोध में वो कुछ दिनों से अन्य छात्रों के साथ खुले में रह रहे थे। कई अन्य छात्र भी इस आंदोलन में उनके साथ थे।
अपने सुसाइड नोट में रोहित ने लिखा, "..... आप जब ये पत्र पढ़ रहे होंगे तब मैं नहीं होऊंगा........मैं अपनी आत्मा और अपनी देह के बीच की खाई को बढ़ता हुआ महसूस करता रहा हूं. मैं हमेशा एक लेखक बनना चाहता था. विज्ञान पर लिखने वाला, कार्ल सगान की तरह. लेकिन अंत में मैं सिर्फ़ ये पत्र लिख पा रहा हूं.................मैं पहली बार इस तरह का पत्र लिख रहा हूं. पहली बार मैं आख़िरी पत्र लिख रहा हूं. मुझे माफ़ करना अगर इसका कोई मतलब न निकले तो..............आप जो मेरा पत्र पढ़ रहे हैं, अगर कुछ कर सकते हैं तो मुझे अपनी सात महीने की फ़ेलोशिप मिलनी बाक़ी है. एक लाख 75 हज़ार रुपए. कृपया ये सुनिश्चित कर दें कि ये पैसा मेरे परिवार को मिल जाए. मुझे रामजी को चालीस हज़ार रुपए देने थे. उन्होंने कभी पैसे वापस नहीं मांगे. लेकिन प्लीज़ फ़ेलोशिप के पैसे से रामजी को पैसे दे दें...........................अंबेडकर स्टूडेंट्स एसोसिएशन परिवार, आप सब को निराश करने के लिए माफ़ी. आप सबने मुझे बहुत प्यार किया. सबको भविष्य के लिए शुभकामना.......................आख़िरी बार - जय भीम....................... ..मैं औपचारिकताएं लिखना भूल गया. ख़ुद को मारने के मेरे इस कृत्य के लिए कोई ज़िम्मेदार नहीं है.
रोहित की आत्महत्या की ख़बर आने के बाद से तेलंगाना के छात्र संगठनों ने आंदोलन शुरू करते हुए, इस घटना के विरोध में सोमवार को बंद की। कुछ दिनों में इस मामले को लेकर तेलंगाना के साथ-साथ दिल्ली के जेएनयू समेत देश के अन्य कई विश्वविद्यालयों के छात्र भी आंदोलनरत हो गए। संसद में हंगामा हुआ और मानव संसाधन विकास मंत्रालय, उच्च शिक्षा राजपत्र विभाग ने फरवरी, 2, 2016 को न्यायमूर्ति अशोक कुमार रुपनवाल की अगुवाई में घटनाओं की जांच के लिए एक कमीशन नियुक्त किया। इस कमीशन को इस बात का पर रिपोर्ट देनी थी कि
(I) रोहित की आत्महत्या की तथ्यों की जांच और परिस्थिति तय करने के लिए एवं (Ii) विश्वविद्यालय में छात्रों के लिए निवारण तंत्र मौजूदा शिकायत की समीक्षा करने के लिए, और सुधार के लिए सुझाव देने की ज़रुरत।
रोहित वेमुला खुदकुशी मामले की जांच कर रहे न्यायिक आयोग ने इस आत्महत्या के लिए रोहित को ही जिम्मेदार बताया है। द इंडियन एक्सप्रेस की एक रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक आयोग का मानना है कि रोहित की खुदकुशी की वजह निजी तनाव था जिसमें विश्वविद्यालय प्रशासन और सरकार की कोई भूमिका नहीं थी। अपनी रिपोर्ट में आयोग का कहना है कि रोहित वेमुला का जाति प्रमाण पत्र फर्जी था और वे दलित थे ही नहीं। आयोग ने रोहित को छात्रावास से बाहर किए जाने संबंधी विश्वविद्यालय के फैसले को भी सही बताया है। इलाहाबाद हाइकोर्ट के पूर्व न्यायाधीश एके रूपनवाल के एक सदस्यीय आयोग ने अगस्त 2016 में 41 पन्नों की रिपोर्ट केंद्र सरकार को सौंपी है।
अहम सवाल ये खड़ा हो रहा है कि क्या कमेटी को इस तथ्य के बारे में जांच करनी थी?
टर्म्स ऑफ़ रेफेरेंस के मुताबिक रोहित की जाति के बारे में पता करना कमेटी का काम नहीं था। 'ये (जाति के बारे में पता करना) कमेटी के टर्म ऑफ रेफरेंस में था ही नहीं।
रोहित की आत्महत्या, दरअसल, एक 'संस्थागत हत्या' थी। कमीशन की रिपोर्ट में कहीं भी भारत सरकार द्वारा स्कॉलरशिप बंद किये जाने से देश के रिसर्च करने वाले शोद्यार्थियों पर उसका असर, होस्टल से निकाले जाने का असल कारण और उसपर कोई टिप्पणी, इनका कोई जिक्र ही नहीं है।
लगता है इस रिपोर्ट का सिर्फ यह साबित करना है कि रोहित 'दलित' नहीं था, जिससे राजनैतिक तौर पर सत्ताधारी दल को कोई नुकसान नहीं हो।
रोहित वेमुला द्वारा आत्महत्या की घटना ने राष्ट्र के सामूहिक चिंतन पटल को झकझोर के रख दिया थाI उसके सुसाइड नोट से उसके सपनो का चित्र, एक निराश एवं मलिनचित भावना तथा इस पीड़ादायक जिंदगी से दूर जाने की इच्छा, सब कुछ दिखता है। वह इस समाज की वर्तमान जाति व्यवस्था का एक नवीनतम शिकार है, भले सरकार आज साबित करे की वह दलित था ही नहींI यह भी पूरी तरह सही नहीं है की यह एक छात्र पर अनुशासनक कार्यवाही, छात्रावास से निष्कासन अथवा छात्रवृति रोके जाने भर तक का ही मामला है।
रोहित से विश्वविद्यालय का ऐसा व्यवहार एक दलित छात्र के तौर पर ही किया गया जिसका अपने सैद्धांतिक तथा नैतिक आदर्शों हेतू अम्बेडकर से प्रेरणा लेने का तथा उन वैचारिक संघर्षों को आगे जारी रखने के अधिकार से सम्बंधित हैI उस छात्र को एक अलग दृष्टिकोण रखने तथा कोई विशेष राजनितिक संगठन में होने के कारण प्रताड़ित नहीं जा सकता। यह उसका अधिकार है की वह महत्वपूर्ण राष्ट्रीय विषयों पर अपनी राय रखे। वह संभवतः मृत्युदंड देने के खिलाफ था। अतः उसे स्थानीय सांसद द्वारा राष्ट्र विरोधी ठहरा दिया गया था।
रोहित ने सवर्ण हिन्दू समाज द्वारा अपने एक दलित पी.एच.डी. छात्र होने के प्रति हो रहे पूर्वाग्रहों के कारण क्षुब्ध था। वह उसके लिए तैयार नहीं था और उसे नहीं झेल पाया। रोहित की आत्महत्या के ऊपर होने वाली जांच का नतीजा हमें स्वीकार्य नहीं है।

Provocative Report on Rohith Vemula :

Rohith Chakravarti Vemula (30 January 1989 – 17 January 2016) was a PhD student at the University of Hyderabad who committed suicide on 17 January 2016.
There was a controversy which extended over several months and in July 2015 the University reportedly stopped paying him a fellowship of ₹25,000 (US$370) per month after he was found "raising issues under the banner of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA)." as part of institute's disciplinary inquiry.
On 17 January 2016 Rohith Vemula committed suicide, hanging himself with a banner of the Ambedkar Students Association. In the suicide-note which he left behind, he blamed the "system" for his death.
His suicide sparked protests and outrage from across India and gained widespread media attention as an alleged case of discrimination against Dalits, in which government educational institutions have been purportedly seen as hotbeds of caste-based discrimination against students belonging to depressed sections of the society at the behest of ABVP and RSS.
During the tenure of Smt Smriti Irani, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education vide Gazette Notification dated February, 2, 2016 appointed a Commission of Inquiry consisting of Justice Ashok Kumar Roopanwal (Retd.) to enquire into the events at the
University of Hyderabad, culminating in death of Shri Chakravarty R.Vemula, a research scholar with the following terms of reference :
(i) to enquire into the facts and circumstance leading to the death of Shri Chakravarti R.Vemula, a research scholar of University of Hyderabad, and fix responsibility for lapses, if any.
(ii) to review the existing grievance redressal mechanism for students at the University, and
to suggest improvements.
The Commission in its 41 page report, probably ignoring the terms of reference, says, "...Rohith Vemula's mother “branded” herself as Dalit to avail the benefits of reservation; expelling him from the hostel was the “most reasonable” decision the university could have taken; personal frustration, not discrimination, drove the 26-year-old PhD scholar to suicide; Union Ministers Bandaru Dattatreya and Smriti Irani were only discharging their duties and there was no pressure on the Hyderabad Central University authorities."
Vemula’s decision to commit suicide, according to the probe, was wholly his own and not abetted by either the university administration or the government.
Nothing can be more farcical than what this report has to say. It is intriguing that the Commission has nothing to comment on the Governments withdrawl of Non NET UGC Scholarships. It again goes on to prove that the Modi Government continues to be more insensitive to the concerns of the Dalits, OBCs and much more importantly to the slow death being served to the Higher Education in India.
Rohith was in in need of scholarship and hostel. The problems in both was able to get neither because Government of India is on the process to sell off Higher Education. On the top of it the so called brokers of "Hindu" Identity, are calling the struggles of social justice 'casteist'!
No word has been said on scrapping of fellowships by subsequent Central Governments . Although there are serious and pressing questions about the nature of the NET/JRF, the indisputable fact is that the JRF picks out a very small subset of students to support for M.Phil./PhD research – the figure of 6400 fellowships in 2010-2011 works out to research support for just 4.6% of the 137,668 students registered for research in the humanities, social sciences and sciences across India in that period. This is hardly the kind of research investment any country, especially a developing one like India, needs.
In order to meet the challenges of a potential elite bias in eligibility of research – a possibility made even more salient after the implementation of OBC reservations -– the UGC instituted the thoroughly misnamed ‘Non-NET fellowship’ in order to provide minimum research support for non-JRF/SRF students (many of whom are NET-qualified) enrolled in M.Phil./PhD programmes in central universities. This support, to the tune of Rs. 5000 and Rs 8000 respectively plus a small annual contingency grant, was intended to be just enough for students to be financially independent from their families, who are invariably tapped as the primary source of financial support.
At its 510th meeting held on October 7, 2015 the UGC decided to discontinue the non-NET fellowship programme.
Under UPA I, at the WTO-GATS negotiations in 2005, the Indian government had already made an ‘offer’ of opening up the higher education sector to the international education trade. Teachers and students organisations across the country have consistently condemned the decision of the Central government to open up India’s highest education sector to GATS since 2005, but this opposition did not make a whit of difference to the UPA regime. The BJP appears more than willing to go down this disastrous neo-liberal route blazed by the UPA.
Equally disturbing is the MHRD’s indication that the Review Committee consider whether economic and other criteria are to be applied to eligibility for the non-NET fellowships. Were this indeed to be accepted, the move would convert the non-NET fellowship from one that invests in Indian research into what are called merit-cum-means fellowships in university systems. Even if this restricted non-NET fellowship could escape the stringent GATS restrictions, by being argued for as a levelling- of-the-field type of measure, receipt of such a fellowship would never be able to even minimally off-set the costs of research itself. Significantly increased tuition fees under the WTO-GATS regime, shall take away alł, and then some, of the restricted non-NET fellowship.
To conclude, the 'institutional murder' of Rohith Vemula has been 'justified' by the 'system' which Rohith blamed the in his suicide note, and this has to be taken seriously.
The Report on Rohith is challenge to all who are committed to the cause of social justice and real political freedom of our country to continue the agitation for this cause and openly condemn this bias report on Rohith's suicide.

The annihilation of a Dalit Teacher Ratan Lal.: the making of a Rohit Vemula.

"Justice To Rohit Vemula, Dignity for Dr Ratan Lal"
Normally I prefer writing in Hindi because I think that those whom I would like to understand what I have to say, do not know English, and those who know English wouldn't like to understand what I would like to say. But here the idea is that those who wouldn't like to understand what I have to say, should at least read what is being said.
The murder of Rohit Vemula, which is being rightly called an 'institutional murder', because as we should know, Rohit who was a dalit PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad, committed suicide on 17 January 2016, as from July 2015 the University stopped paying him a fellowship of 25,000 rupees per month after he was found "raising issues under the banner of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA)," as part of institute's disciplinary inquiry, and Rohit had been protesting against this for months. The role of ABVP, Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreye and the Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani in this episode have been questioned by the protestors. Crocodile tears are being shed now, but a life has gone and many like him continue to suffer. Ratan Lal is one of them.
Ratan Lal, is a friend, and that is not the reason for raising my concern. Ratan Lal is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the prestigious Hindu College, University of Delhi, writes a lot, is a vociferous speaker who can hold his audience almost hypnotically, involves himself in every social and political issue of significance, has courage to question the wrong and is a nature loving person. He comes from a humble background, studied in Hindi medium but did well as a student and researcher at University of Delhi, and got an opportunity to teach at Hindu College and is now the senior most teacher in the Department of History. Having been trained under Prof D N Jha and Prof K M Shrimali, he has authored very interesting books on Indian History.
Now Ratan Lal is being hounded by the College Administration and he has been running from pillar to post with no result. The reason is not just that he is a Dalit, but also that you cannot invoke law against persons who have the money power. Hindu College is a College being run by a Trust but in actuality it is being treated as the personal fiefdom of the present Chairman of the Trust SHRI S.N.P.PUNJ, whose family or he personally has absolutely no contribution in the establishment of the College more than 100 years ago, but invokes all legal interpretation to literally claim that the College is his private property and the Teaching and non-teaching staff are his own employees. Sh Punj has notoriously tired to dismiss two OBC members of teaching faculty at Hindu College, who are fighting their battle in the court of law. In fact if you write his name on Google Search, you will get references to just many of the Court Cases, and later somewhere option of Hindu College will also come.
Actually Hindu College was founded in 1899, by Late Shri Krishan Dassji Gurwale. In the backdrop of the nationalist struggle against British Raj. Some prominent citizens including Shri Gurwale Ji, decided to start a college that would provide nationalist education to the youth, while being non-elitist and non-sectarian. Originally, the college was housed in a humble building in Kinari Bazar, Chandni Chowk, and it was affiliated to Punjab University as there was no University in Delhi at that time. As the college grew, it faced a major crisis in 1902. The Punjab University warned the college that the University would disaffiliate the college if the college fails to get a proper building of its own. But fortunately, Rai Bahadur Lala Sultan Singh came to rescue the college from this crisis. He donated a part of his historic property, which originally belonged to Colonel James Skinner, at Kashmiri Gate, Delhi, to the college. The college functioned from there till 1953. When the University of Delhi took birth in 1922, Hindu College along with Ramjas College and St. Stephen's College were subsequently affiliated to the University, making them the first three institutions to be affiliated with University.
Hindu College was a centre for intellectual and political debate during India’s freedom struggle, especially during the Quit India Movement. This is the only college in Delhi to have a Students’ Parliament since 1935, which in fact, provided a platform to many national leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Annie Besant, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Subhash Chandra Bose for motivating the youth. Responding whole-heartedly to Gandhi Ji's Quit India call in 1942, the college played a leading role in India’s freedom struggle as some teachers and students of the college even went to prison and had closed its gates for several months.
Ratan Lal is actually the true follower of the traditions of the Hindu College. He has raised his voice on many issues of concern and in favour of the students and teaching community. These were never liked by the establishment at Hindu College. But reasons for heartburn are many more. The first cause was when a residential establishment in depleted condition, considered to be heritage building, was handed over to Ratan Lal for his official accommodation as per rules. After several requests when the College did not provide any grant for the repair of the place, Ratan Lal, who had just received some arrears for his promotion, spent a considerable amount with intimation and information to the College for making the place livable, knowing that this is where he shall stay till his retirement. Since the place has a small lawn, the whole place was decorated with plants and a bust of Dr Bheem Rao Ambedkar was also placed in the lawn. This steered the hornets nest. It again was making the establishment uncomfortable because the plan was to evacuate Ratan Lal and make the place of some commercial use. In fact the accommodation allotted to the Non-teaching employee in the adjoining section was vacated and later allotted to the office of Sulabh International, to whom the cleanliness responsibilities have been outsourced. Not to sop here, on the other-side a huge pit of 20 X 20 X 20 feet has been dug and all the garbage of the College is being dumped there in the name "compost" making, which emanates nasty smell and also methane if there is a water due to rains. The leaves piled up there are in condition that they can catch fire and spread to nearby Chemistry Laboratory or the Chemistry store, which also has cylinders apart from chemicals of different kinds. The idea is to humiliate and harass Ratan Lal and force him to leave the accommodation and also teach him a lesson to dare erect the bust of Babasaheb Bheem Rao Ambedkar Ji.
Systematic targeting of Ratan Lal has been sent in complaints and appeals to the University and College Authorities as under everal times in past nearly a year, and has not been replied :
1. Deliberately snatching his paper and arbitrarily dividing his class, forcing to work like junior most teacher (more work-load than the sanctioned strength).
2. Deliberately withheld his TA for the month of June 2015, without furnishing any rules and regulations of Delhi University.
3. The construction of the Botanical Garden surrounded by huge walls next to my house, without keeping in mind the direction of the flow of heavy rain water and proper drainage mechanism. Consequently, the lawn of his house gets converted into a pond in heavy rains, children have to wade through the dirty water to go to school. The water logging also invites mosquitoes and insects apart from littering his garden with all the waste that flows with drain water and creates health hazards. The area is deliberately kept dark which has created security threat.
4. In a further twist of events leading to his harassment is the fact that the house (adjacent to my house) which was earlier allotted to an employee of the college has now been allotted to a private agency to run the office for sanitation work. The purpose is intentional- humiliation as well as invasion into my privacy. This has also created security threat for him and his family members.
5. As if this was not enough to humiliate him, recently a ‘compost’ pit (garbage pit) on the other side of his house has been dug up. This ‘compost’ pit has become a dump yard for all sorts of garbage, dry leaf and is bound to become a source of foul smell. It is also situated between the chemistry lab on the one side and the chemistry store room on the other. There is huge pile of dry leaf in the open ‘compost’, therefore, in case of fire it may cost anything including life. At this site the former Principal used to throw all sorts of garbage including broken toilet seats. This is a deliberate attempt to force him to vacate the house. It smacks some hidden agenda to his life as well.
6. It is not out of context to mention that there is a bust of Baba Saheb on his campus .A letter mentioning his community name, “To insinuate that any action against you is being directed to harass you simply because you belong to SC Category…”was also served on him by the Chairman, Governing Body in recent past.
7. Forwarding him a representation of a fictitious woman, Monica Rai, without verifying her identity. Her representation was quite derogatory, however, he was forced to reply. This was nothing but conspiracy to implicate him in a fake case.
Finally, Ratan Lal has approached Delhi Police for justice. On 5th February 2016, a complaint was filed by Ratan Lal at the Maurice Nagar Police Station to register an FIR against the Officiating Principal, Dr. Anju Srivastav and others. In response to the first reminder submitted on 3rd of March, he was requested by the Police Station on 4th of March to submit more relevant documents which may help in the investigation. As the matter was serious in nature, he duly submitted some of the relevant documents to SHO’s office on 09.03.16, which were enough to prove the discriminatory and atrocious action and behaviour of the Hindu College Authorities. He also sent number of photographs to the SHO through whatsapp. On 29.03.16, he gave a second reminder with regard to his complaint. On 4th and 6th of April 2016, he personally met the DCP, Shri Madhur Varma and the Police Commissioner, Shri Alok Verma respectively and apprised them with the matter and submitted a representation to them.
It is indeed a matter of deep pain and anguish that more than two months have lapsed but no action has been taken in the matter. There is a saying that Justice delayed is Justice denied and if a Professor is a victim of continuous harassment and atrocities and there is no action on the part of the police in the capital of the country, one can imagine the condition of the dalits in other parts of the country! It seems that either the college authorities are considering themselves above the law of the country or the police or the police is deliberately protecting them. Are they waiting for some unwarranted act, such as Rohith Vemula to happen? Will the concerned officers wake up then? The entire ‘event’ is not only affecting his personal, family and professional life but also social life. He is in deep mental and psychological pain and crisis.

I call upon my friends and colleagues who have even little bit concern for Human Rights, Social Justice and the Right of Dalits to live with dignity to join me in the movement : "Justice To Rohit Vemula, Dignity for Dr Ratan Lal".

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