Ambedkarite students and activists staged demonstrations at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (BAMU) against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of fostering discontent against Dalit community reservations. The protest, held on the eighth death anniversary of Dalit student Rohith Vemula, aimed to draw attention to issues surrounding Dalit rights.
Vemula, a research student, died by suicide at Hyderabad Central University on January 17, 2016, allegedly due to the administration's mistreatment. The demonstrators argued that justice has not been served in Vemula's case, and they criticised the current government for allegedly fueling resentment against Dalit reservations. They claimed that Dalit students face discrimination, increased casteism in education, and barriers to scholarships and higher education opportunities. The protesters also expressed concerns about the isolation of students based on caste and religion, citing a lack of employment opportunities for educated and eligible youths.
The demonstrators specifically called for the cancellation of the new education policy, which they believe is detrimental to economically disadvantaged backward-class students.
Slogans were chanted, and justice for Vemula was demanded during the protest. Various student organisations, including Republican Vidyarthi Sena, Panthers Republican Vidhyarthi Aghadi, Samyak Vidyarthi Andolan, Palak Sangh, and Castribe Employees Organisations, participated in the agitation.
Dr Devanant Wankhede, Dr Anil Pande, Chandrakant Rupekar, Meghanand Jadhav, Dhammapal Bhujbal, Santosh Mokale, Vishal Sarpe, Rahul Wadmare, and others joined the demonstration to advocate for justice and address the issues raised by the protestors.
