Students protest after suicide of Dalit scholar

E-Paper | May 03, 2026

HYDERABAD (India): Indian police fired water cannons on Monday to disperse students protesting the death of a young Dalit scholar who committed suicide after he was suspended from a university, a case some have blamed on caste-based discrimination.

Rohit Vemula, a 26-year-old doctoral student at the University of Hyderabad, was found hanged on Sunday evening, triggering protests in the southern city and New Delhi.

He was one of five students, all from India’s lowest Dalit social caste, to be suspended by the university after they were accused of assaulting the head of a right-wing student political group — a charge they denied.

Hyderabad police have registered preliminary cases against the university’s Vice Chancellor Appa Rao and Bandaru Dattatreya, a junior federal minister who had called for the university to punish the five.

They face charges of abetting a suicide and under a prevention of atrocities act that is designed to protect low-caste Hindus.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2016

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tota ram verma

Jan 19, 2016 07:47am

Don't give this incident a cast colour..they were just students ..

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N_Saq

Jan 19, 2016 08:05am

Seriously, there still exist caste based system in the world?

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samu

Jan 19, 2016 08:11am

Bandaru Dattatreya himself a dalit leader,

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Prashantjain

Jan 19, 2016 08:15am

Universities are for giving education not for conducting elections.Politics has nothing to do with universities.Ironocally in India university election exists which has nothing to do with education and such elections effects quality of education.The incident which took place in Hyd has nothing to do with caste of the boy.may God rest his soul in peace

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Justice

Jan 19, 2016 08:15am

So sad!!!

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Shobhit

Jan 19, 2016 08:16am

@N_Saq Caste based system was not meant to be misconstrued as it currently is on Political purposes. It was an Organizational setup in older times which has no place today. Having said that, Class based system that is prevalent in the world is more dangerous.

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rais zaidi

Jan 19, 2016 08:20am

the cast system is basic cause behind the biggest shanty towns and under previlaged society of the biggest democracy.they are not enjoying the fruits of democracy like koria Japan China.

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Ahmed USA

Jan 19, 2016 08:32am

Now where in the world one can find an ancient caste system thriving so much in people's mindset as it is in the case of India... The famous Indian castes are Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Sudras, Pariahs etc. ... Unfortunately, they still exist and are vital part of ethos of modern India...

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Jan 19, 2016 09:25am

@tota ram verma .Its about a Dalit scholar who committed suicide after he was suspended from a university, a case all will blame on caste-based discrimination.

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Utpal

Jan 19, 2016 09:30am

It is indeed sad. It should not be painted with cast colour, though some politicians are trying to do that for gaining milage over that. The fact is that a student committed suicide.

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Philosopher (from Japan)

Jan 19, 2016 11:57am

Dalits are suppressed community Perople in India and Nepal. It is told to me by one magar doctoral student here.

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Chandra

Jan 19, 2016 04:42pm

@rais zaidi Japan has caste system too!

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jakoji

Jan 19, 2016 06:54pm

The poison of student politics, injected by Nehru is the sole reason for this. I am from Kerala, & I know what harm student politics can cause..

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kiran

Jan 20, 2016 12:46am

I am an indian. Minister forced university to expel students. In this case minister has to be sacked.

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Wisdom

Jan 20, 2016 01:26pm

@kiran I stayed in this university for 6 years. Dalits might be repressed any where in India but not here. You will see reverse discrimination here. Dalits form 30 member team who will beat anyone who opposes them. This is very demanding university. So Eventhough upper caste make larger section of student community they won't get involve in these issues in order save carrers. Once you successfully complete u r education u get very good job. Most of the Dalit students also won't support this violence but they don't want to talk any thing against their own. Interestingly most of the faculty in this university are either Brahmin or Dalit.

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Sudhir Neyalasinger

Jan 21, 2016 09:50am

@Philosopher (from Japan) That was before independence. Now they have reservation in education and government jobs. A dalit need not compete with the meritorious to get admission into a professional course in college. They get preference over the meritorious even in government jobs.

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rehan

Jan 21, 2016 11:40am

@tota ram verma Oh of course , let us all ignore the stone age caste system of India . After all, India is the biggest democracy in the Universe !

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