On Rohit Vemula’s fifth death anniversary, his brother Raja Vemula, recently enrolled advocate said he is dedicating his law degree to Rohit, the young Dalit scholar who took his life five years ago on this day at University of Hyderabad alleging caste discrimination.
“While fighting for justice for Rohit, my mother said everyone of us should become Ambedkar. Then I decided to pursue law,” said Raja.
“Now I have to successfully completed my Bachelor of Laws. I dedicate this to my brother,” he said.
In December 2020, their mother and anti-caste activist Radhika Vemula had said that “Raja Vemula, my younger son, is now an Advocate. After 5 yrs, It’s one of the major changes happened in our lives since Rohith Vemula. Adv. Raja Vemula will now work/fight for the people & their Rights in the Court of Law and it’s my “Pay Back to Society. Bless him.”
Raja who has a post graduate degree from Puducherry University had started driving a goods autorickshaw between Guntur and Tenali in 2017 to earn livelihood and meet additional expenses.
Raja became an active part of student movements and protests against casteism and Islamophobia with his mother, Radhika Vemula. The mother-son duo had taken on the fight Rohit had started against discrimination of Dalits in educational universities.
