[Reader-list] STATEMENT ON ROHITH AND RADHIKA VEMULA FOR ENDORSEMENT

[Asit Das]

PLEASE MAIL YOUR ENDORSEMENT TO  latapm at gmail.com

Dear Friends,

·  We the members of  Ambedkarite Women Against Atrocities', India (AWAA)
 condemned here the wording of the report by retired judge K. Roopanwal,
which indicates an attempt of defamation and character assassination of
Radhika Vemulla. Under the garb of fact finding  the committee has done all
efforts to find out the cast of Radhika and Rohit as the remarks were made
by Mr. Roopanwal directly  was an attack  on Radhika’s  character. The
comments were not only just gender biased  but insulting womanhood and her
human rights to live with human dignity.
We protest against this discriminatory , biased report, we  demand to file
a case against  Mr. Roopanwal to damage  the dignity of Radhika Vemula  by
 doing character assassinations   and passed scurrilous remarks.  We ,
Ambedkarite women from all over India demand a public apology from Mr.
Roopanwal and  a  compensation following such a deplorable statement.
·  This is in the context of the news was published on  6 th October 2016,
in the Indian Express,  was titled “ The whitewash: Probe alleges Rohith
Vemula’s mother faked Dalit status, blames him for his suicide”.
· We find that the special efforts were made to  disclose Mr. Roopnwal’s
committee’s report  through specific media because they wanted to shift
entire matter to target Radhika Vemula and proving her caste as OBC would
be an advantage for them to escape from the punishment under atrocity act.
· In this news according to the reporter that  the one man commission was
appointed whose mandate was to inquire into the facts and circumstances
leading to Vemula’s death, review existing grievance mechanism for students
at HCU and suggest improvements. But she did not take any cognizance  of
the fact that in the same month on 25th  August 2016, another tribunal
report was also published. The tribunal was organized by the concerned
teachers, writers, and lawyers of Hyderabad.  It was chaired by Justice  K.
Chandru,  Retired judge High Court Madras. Prof Govardhan Wankhede, TISS,
Bombay and Prof Ghanshyamdas Shah were the members. The brief to the
tribunal was to examine the circumstances leading to leading to the suicide
committed by Rohit Vemula Chakravarthy, a Research Scholar as well as the
police action subsequent to his death and the existing caste discrimination
practiced by the University. And, to recommend among other things, besides
protocols to enable marginalized students to fully participate and enjoy
the academic, political and social space of the university more
productively and effectively; and to examine the existing grievance
redressal systems to prevent caste discrimination in the University of
Hyderabad and evaluate their effectiveness. “
· We member of AWAA demand to disclose both the reports publicly through
media and Government.
·  We express our solidarity with Radhika Vemula and her kids as well as
 congratulate Ambedkar Student’s Association for it’s success in student’s
elections. There are several efforts made by Government, University and
narrow minded casteist people to supress women’s voice especially women
from Dalit-Adivasi-OBC and minorities. *Here we also demand to sustain and
strengthen an act against Atrocities (SC/ST).  *
· AWAA is an all India level network of prominent individuals and
organizations of women who beleive in Phule-Ambedkarite ideology. This was
founded by social activists, writers and researchers like Lata Pratibha
Madhukar (Lata P.M.) Ms. Abhinaya Ramesh in Maharashtra. It was very much
supported by  prominent socio-political activists, theoriticians,
professors, artists, engineers, environmentalists, and writers from oter
parts of India.

We appeal, that if you are in solidarity with Radhika, please endorse your
support.

                                                   In solidarity with
Radhika Vemula and her family
                                                Ambedkarite Women Against
Atrocities', India (AWAA)



   -  Lata Pratibha Madhukar -  (Lata P.M.)

Researcher and Writer, Founder of ‘SAVITARA’:National Centre for Bahujan
Gender Studies, and Stree Kathi, Pune, --09922320338 --l <latapm at gmail.com>
atapm at gmail.com <latapm at gmail.com>

   - Abhinaya Ramesh Kamble - (Abhinaya Ramesh)

Associate Professor, Founder  of Human Rights Network for Dalit Women in
India, CDWS, and Editor of Confront- Mumbai--09920072573--abhira at live.com