The All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) urges the District Collector of Guntur Kantilal Dande to immediately take back the showcause notice served on Radhika Vemula regarding declaring her and Rohith as belonging to the OBC community.
On January 17, 2016, the same district collector after proper inquiries had submitted a report to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes that Vemula belonged to the Scheduled Caste community. The report in its operative part read: “As per the available documentary evidence with the Tahsildar Guntur, Sri. Rohith Chakravarthy Vemula belongs to Hindu Mala caste, which is classified as Scheduled Caste in Andhra Pradesh and his family comes under Below Poverty Line. The statements recorded from the grandmother of Sri Rohith Chakravarthy Vemula and others are also enclosed herein for favour of information."
Rohith Vemula’s mother Radhika Vemula, a divorcee, had contested her ex-husband’s claim that their deceased son belonged to Vaddera (OBC) community, stating that she and her three children, including Rohith, lived in a Mala village as Malas throughout their lives. Ms. Vemula had also stated earlier in various avenues that she was a Mala who was brought up by a Vaddera family.
Once the report is ratified, it can be used to take further action under the Prevention of SC/ST Atrocities Act, slapped on five persons, including Vice-Chancellor P. Appa Rao and Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya.
It is clear that the district collector is under pressure from the BJP central government who want to use their political power to cancel the caste certificates of Radhika and Rohith Vemula.
Instead of giving justice to the Vemula family, the Modi government is adding insult to injury and continuing its tactics of harassment and intimidation of Radhika Vemula.
AIDWA stands by Radhika Vemula in her struggle for justice and for conviction of the persons responsible for the death of Rohith Vemula. AIDWA strongly condemns the attempts of the Andhra Pradesh government to falsify Vemula’s caste certificates and demands the withdrawal of the showcause notices slapped on Radhika Vemula.
Malini Bhattacharya Mariam Dhawale
(President ) (General Secretary)
