Radhika Vemula — mother of Rohith Vemula, a research scholar of the University of Hyderabad whose suicide on the campus four years ago triggered a nationwide uproar — on Friday announced launch of “Mother for Nation Yatra” to campaign for social justice and protection of the basic principles of the Constitution of India by opposing Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
Radhika made this announcement at the commemorative meeting on the fourth death anniversary of Rohith Vemula held under the banner of “We the People by Citizens Against NRC-CAA-NPR,” in the evening.
She would be joined in her mission by Abeda Tadvi — mother of Payal Tadvi, a post-graduate medical student from Mumbai who had committed suicide in May last year following alleged caste discrimination by her seniors — and Fatima Nafees, mother of Najeeb Ahmed, a student of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, who has been missing since October 2016.
Recalling the suicide note of Vemula, Radhika said her son had said four years ago that a citizen was reduced to a vote and a number. “Today, things have become even worse, they are trying to exclude people even from getting a vote and a number,” she regretted.
She said she had lost her son as she had no idea as to how to save him at that time. “Now, we have decided not to let our sons and daughter die and to see that we shall not lose our nation as well. We will oppose the CAA-NRC-NPR as mothers who have lost our children to injustice and oppression,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}She said she had lost her son as she had no idea as to how to save him at that time. “Now, we have decided not to let our sons and daughter die and to see that we shall not lose our nation as well. We will oppose the CAA-NRC-NPR as mothers who have lost our children to injustice and oppression,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}Referring to the ongoing protests at JNU and Jamia Millia against CAA, NRC and NPR, Radhika said, “My blood is boiling again. Let Modi and Shah prove first as to where they have come from. They are Aryans, whose ancestors invaded India. They should first prove their citizenship,” she said.
She accused the Modi government of turning India into a Hindu rashtra by implementing CAA.
Noted social activist and politician Yogendra Yadav attended the event as chief guest. “What the country needs today is not NRC. We urgently need NRU - National Register of Unemployment”, he said.
Rohith Vemula committed committed suicide at his hostel room on January 17, 2016, leaving a suicide note in which he had spoken about caste discrimination on the campus.