Hyderabad: Dalit research scholars from University of Hyderabad belonging to the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) have ridiculed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much appreciated statement, “attack me, shoot me, not Dalits” saying, “We find it ironic that you chose to say these words a few kilometers from where fake cow-protectors and fake nationalists from your party forced a brilliant Dalit scholar to take his own life.
“Despite the passion with which you delivered it, your latest speech is as dishonest as the one that you were forced to deliver at the Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Lucknow on January 22, 2016, a week after our brother Rohith Vemula was martyred, said the students in an open letter to the Prime Minister.
The letter was issued to the media on Tuesday, was signed by Dontha Prashanth, Vijay Pedapudi and Seshaiah Chemudugunta, Dalit research scholars from the University .
The letter mentioned that it was noteworthy that, “you were praising Babasaheb Dr B.R. Ambedkar on his125th Birth Anniversary in Delhi. But here in Hyderabad, when we Dalit research scholars started quoting from the writings of Babasaheb Dr. BR Ambedkar, we were branded as anti-nationals by Bandaru Dattatreya, a minister in your own Cabinet. No action was taken against him.”
“We heard with disbelief, and a bit of amuse ment, the speech that you delivered on Sunday in Hyderabad where you condemned cow protectors who attacked Dalits in your home state of Gujarat and said: What is the reason we torture our Dalit brothers? What right do you have? The section which has suffered for centuries, will you force them to suffer more? Be wary of ‘nakli’ (fake) gau rakshaks, they have nothing to do with cow. Governments should
crack down on them.”
“Addressing these ‘nakli’ cow protectors, you even went to the extent of saying, “Attack me, shoot me, not Dalits.” We find it ironic that you chose to say these words a few kilometers from where fake cow-protectors and fake nationalists from your party forced a brilliant Dalit scholar to take his own life.”
“Like your latest speech, on that occasion too you were forced to speak because people across the country and world were criticizing you, your government and the merciless ideology of your rightwing party. Such was the public pres sure on you, that despite your own party colleagues calling us anti-national, you were forced to hail Shaheed Rohith Vemula as a gem of this nation, ” the letter said.
You said, “iss desh ki ek navjawaan bête Rohith ko aatmahatya karne ki majboor hona pada, uske pariwaar par kyaa biti hui, maa bharti ne apna ek laal khoya, kaaran apni jagaah par honge, raajniti apni jagaah par hoga….Babasaheb Ambedkar ki jo sapne hein un
sapnon ko poora karne kaa hamaara abhirath prayaas ho.”
We were initially relieved when you decided to break your silence on the death of our comrade. Gunning for the Vice Chancellor Podile Apparao, the ASA reminded that ‘Make no mistake, as far as the
law is concerned, Podile Apparao is an accused in crime.no.20/2016 under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and abetment
to suicide for the constant humiliation and harassment of Five Dalit Research Scholars including Rohith Vemula.
Courtesy: MetroIndia