Date:
February 1, 2016
From Byculla to Vidhan Bhavan, Mumbai on 1st February, 2016
Justice for Rohith Vemula - Joint Action Committee (JAC), Mumbai, Maharashtra
The institutional murder of Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar from Hyderabad Central University (HCU), the latest and most shocking in a long series of such murders, has triggered protest demonstrations and campaigns across the country for the arrest of those responsible for Rohith’s death.
The Mumbai Students Solidarity Front (MSS) organised the student protest in Mumbai University on 19th Jan 2016 demanding justice for Rohith and the other four students who were thrown out of their hostels on false allegations made by the ABVP president of HCU, Susheel Kumar. After the protest a need for a broader alliance was felt. Various Ambedkarite, progressive and democratic organisations from Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai came together and formed a front on 22nd January called "Justice for Rohit - Joint Action Committee, Mumbai" under the guidance of Adv. Prakash Ambedkar.
Students from IIT-Bombay, Mumbai University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Nirmala Niketan, Siddharth College, Govt Law College, Ruparel College, St. Xavier's college, International Institute of Population Sciences, Vivekananda College, Ambedkar College, and many others are part of the front. Several progressive political forces, cultural groups and local organisations have also joined in.
In order to take the movement of Justice for Rohith forward and build support for the demands raised by the JAC for Social Justice, HCU, the JAC Mumbai is organizing a protest rally from Byculla to Vidhan Bhavan on February 1st, 2016 starting at 11 am. JAC members have campaigned across educational institutions and bastis in the city and suburbs to speak to people of the age-old and recent battles that Rohit was fighting and to call upon them to join the protest rally.
The students in HCU are under tremendous pressure and threats from the ABVP, HCU administration RSS led BJP government to give up their struggle for their just demands. In these circumstances, it has become all the more necessary to build a momentum for a nation-wide movement to seek justice for Rohith.
We appeal to you as a member of the journalist fraternity to attend and cover the rally for your respective newspapers, channels and websites.
The core demands of JAC Mumbai are –
1. Bandaru Dattatreya - Labour Union Minister, Smriti Irani - MHRD Union minister, P. Appa Rao - Vice Chancellor, University of Hyderabad, Prof. Alok Pandey - Chief Proctor, Ramchandra Rao - BJP MLC, Susheel Kumar - ABVP President must be arrested under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
2. Immediately remove P. Appa Rao from the post of Vice Chancellor of HCU.
3. University of Hyderabad (HCU) administration must employ a family member of Rohith Vemula and pay his family Rs 50 lakhs as compensation.
4. The fellowship amount due to Rohith must be given immediately.
5. Drop the false police cases filed on five Dalit research scholars and of other students detained by the police immediately and unconditionally.
6. Revoke their suspension on any form of ostracizing forced upon them by way of access to institute facilities at HCU immediately and unconditionally.
7. Appoint a special public prosecutor in the concerned case of Rohith Vemula.
8. Constitute a judicial enquiry under Justice Ramaswami (with non-MHRD members) into all existing cases of discrimination of Dalit, Adivasi, OBC, Religious Minority students in all higher educational institutes in India to address issues including physical and mental harassment, atrocity, non-payment of fellowships, the absence of SC/ ST grievance forums.
9. We demand that affirmative action policies be implemented in higher education, and it be extended regardless of the management of colleges in the true spirit of the Constitution for making higher education truly inclusive.
For details, please contact: Ajmal:7666842809, Harshali:9930177123, Jenny:8433833449, Srishti:9967154357, Sagar :9821747649, Suvarna:7039604408, Saqib:9930022195, Sreejith:8879220651, Smita: 7208022255, Shraddha: 9004336140, Akash: 9773592396, Akshay: 8097892264, Ajin: 8281414955, Rossi: 9029385482, Paankhi: 8080319349, Shambhuk 9819349931, Vimlesh: 9892191855.
Justice for Rohith Vemula - Joint Action Committee (JAC), Mumbai, Maharashtra
The institutional murder of Rohith Vemula, a PhD scholar from Hyderabad Central University (HCU), the latest and most shocking in a long series of such murders, has triggered protest demonstrations and campaigns across the country for the arrest of those responsible for Rohith’s death.
The Mumbai Students Solidarity Front (MSS) organised the student protest in Mumbai University on 19th Jan 2016 demanding justice for Rohith and the other four students who were thrown out of their hostels on false allegations made by the ABVP president of HCU, Susheel Kumar. After the protest a need for a broader alliance was felt. Various Ambedkarite, progressive and democratic organisations from Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai came together and formed a front on 22nd January called "Justice for Rohit - Joint Action Committee, Mumbai" under the guidance of Adv. Prakash Ambedkar.
Students from IIT-Bombay, Mumbai University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Nirmala Niketan, Siddharth College, Govt Law College, Ruparel College, St. Xavier's college, International Institute of Population Sciences, Vivekananda College, Ambedkar College, and many others are part of the front. Several progressive political forces, cultural groups and local organisations have also joined in.
In order to take the movement of Justice for Rohith forward and build support for the demands raised by the JAC for Social Justice, HCU, the JAC Mumbai is organizing a protest rally from Byculla to Vidhan Bhavan on February 1st, 2016 starting at 11 am. JAC members have campaigned across educational institutions and bastis in the city and suburbs to speak to people of the age-old and recent battles that Rohit was fighting and to call upon them to join the protest rally.
The students in HCU are under tremendous pressure and threats from the ABVP, HCU administration RSS led BJP government to give up their struggle for their just demands. In these circumstances, it has become all the more necessary to build a momentum for a nation-wide movement to seek justice for Rohith.
We appeal to you as a member of the journalist fraternity to attend and cover the rally for your respective newspapers, channels and websites.
The core demands of JAC Mumbai are –
1. Bandaru Dattatreya - Labour Union Minister, Smriti Irani - MHRD Union minister, P. Appa Rao - Vice Chancellor, University of Hyderabad, Prof. Alok Pandey - Chief Proctor, Ramchandra Rao - BJP MLC, Susheel Kumar - ABVP President must be arrested under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
2. Immediately remove P. Appa Rao from the post of Vice Chancellor of HCU.
3. University of Hyderabad (HCU) administration must employ a family member of Rohith Vemula and pay his family Rs 50 lakhs as compensation.
4. The fellowship amount due to Rohith must be given immediately.
5. Drop the false police cases filed on five Dalit research scholars and of other students detained by the police immediately and unconditionally.
6. Revoke their suspension on any form of ostracizing forced upon them by way of access to institute facilities at HCU immediately and unconditionally.
7. Appoint a special public prosecutor in the concerned case of Rohith Vemula.
8. Constitute a judicial enquiry under Justice Ramaswami (with non-MHRD members) into all existing cases of discrimination of Dalit, Adivasi, OBC, Religious Minority students in all higher educational institutes in India to address issues including physical and mental harassment, atrocity, non-payment of fellowships, the absence of SC/ ST grievance forums.
9. We demand that affirmative action policies be implemented in higher education, and it be extended regardless of the management of colleges in the true spirit of the Constitution for making higher education truly inclusive.
For details, please contact: Ajmal:7666842809, Harshali:9930177123, Jenny:8433833449, Srishti:9967154357, Sagar :9821747649, Suvarna:7039604408, Saqib:9930022195, Sreejith:8879220651, Smita: 7208022255, Shraddha: 9004336140, Akash: 9773592396, Akshay: 8097892264, Ajin: 8281414955, Rossi: 9029385482, Paankhi: 8080319349, Shambhuk 9819349931, Vimlesh: 9892191855.