Mumbai: Rohith Vemula’s mother, Radhika and younger brother, Raja will officially embrace Buddhism on the occasion of 125th birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar at a ceremony to be held at Ambedkar Bhavan in Dadar, Mumbai today.
The Buddhist Society of India is organizing the conversion ceremony in presence of many supporters who have been part of the ‘Justice for Vemula’ movement for almost three months now.
The last letter written by Rohit prompted her to convert her religion to embrace Buddhism, Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar who is the national leader of Bharipa Bahujan Maha Sangh told this.
It may be recalled that Rohit Vemula had committed suicide in January this year in a room in the hostel of University of Hyderabad which sparked country-wide protests against alleged caste discrimination on college campuses.
It is to be noted that he was expelled from the hostel by the university in December last following a clash with leaders of right-wing student group Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He was forced to sleep in a makeshift tent on the campus.
Sources indicated that Ambedkar Students’ Association of University of Hyderabad had protested against the hanging of Yakoob Memon in August 2015 against which ABVP students agitated which resulted in tension on the campus of the university. The deceased student belonged to Ambedkar Students’ Association.