A decade later, Rohith Vemula's case remains a stark reminder of institutional apathy and the ongoing fight for Dalit scholar justice in Indian academia.

It’s been a year since Rohith Vemula ended his life in the tragic institutional conspiracy at Hyderabad Central University. Now, even after all this time, the justice remains delayed and seems a far-fetched dream for the Dalit scholar. Ironically, within all the chaos, controversies, and demands for justice, the people who were alleged for his Institutional murder were promoted, awarded and praised. Every shred of evidence was destroyed, as Rohith Vemula’s wailing mother kept pleading for the justice. All she got was denial, waiting and humiliation.

Podile Appa Rao, the Vice-chancellor of the University of Hyderabad, was since awarded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a ‘Millennium Plaque of Honour’ at the Indian Science Congress in Tirupati. Fatefully, He was one of the alleged for the institutional murder of Rohith Vemula.

Rohith’s death was not important, his caste was. Several claims were made to prove that he was not a Dalit. It was as if, life was measured on a  separate scale if he was. On his death anniversary let’s take a look back to the heart-breaking memory as we read his final words, just one more time, hoping justice finds the right home to come to this time around.

Good morning,
I would not be around when you read this letter. Don’t get angry on me. I know some of you truly cared for me, loved me and treated me very well. I have no complaints on anyone. It was always with myself I had problems. I feel a growing gap between my soul and my body. And I have become a monster. I always wanted to be a writer. A writer of science, like Carl Sagan. At last, this is the only letter I am getting to write.

I always wanted to be a writer. A writer of science, like Carl Sagan.

I loved Science, Stars, Nature, but then I loved people without knowing that people have long since divorced from nature. Our feelings are second handed. Our love is constructed. Our beliefs colored. Our originality valid through artificial art. It has become truly difficult to love without getting hurt.

The value of a man was reduced to his immediate identity and nearest possibility. To a vote. To a number. To a thing. Never was a man treated as a mind. As a glorious thing made up of star dust. In every field, in studies, in streets, in politics, and in dying and living.

I am writing this kind of letter for the first time. My first time of a final letter. Forgive me if I fail to make sense.My birth is my fatal accident. I can never recover from my childhood loneliness. The unappreciated child from my past. May be I was wrong, all the while, in understanding world. In understanding love, pain, life, death. There was no urgency. But I always was rushing. Desperate to start a life. All the while, some people, for them, life itself is curse. My birth is my fatal accident. I can never recover from my childhood loneliness. The unappreciated child from my past.
I am not hurt at this moment. I am not sad. I am just empty. Unconcerned about myself. That’s pathetic. And that’s why I am doing this. People may dub me as a coward. And selfish, or stupid once I am gone. I am not bothered about what I am called. I don’t believe in after-death stories, ghosts, or spirits. If there is anything at all I believe, I believe that I can travel to the stars. And know about the other worlds.
If you, who is reading this letter can do anything for me, I have to get 7 months of my fellowship, one lakh and seventy five thousand rupees. Please see to it that my family is paid that. I have to give some 40 thousand to Ramji. He never asked them back. But please pay that to him from that.

Let my funeral be silent and smooth. Behave like I just appeared and gone. Do not shed tears for me. Know that I am happy dead than being alive.
“From shadows to the stars.”
Uma anna, sorry for using your room for this thing.
To ASA family, sorry for disappointing all of you. You loved me very much. I wish all the very best for the future.
For one last time,
Jai Bheem

I forgot to write the formalities. No one is responsible for my this act of killing myself. No one has instigated me, whether by their acts or by their words to this act.This is my decision and I am the only one responsible for this.Do not trouble my friends and enemies on this after I am gone.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Rohith Vemula and why did he become a notable case?

Rohith Vemula was a Dalit research scholar at Hyderabad Central University who ended his life in 2016, sparking national outrage. His death exposed institutional discrimination, caste-based marginalization, and systemic failures within Indian academia that resonated deeply across civil society.

What happened to Rohith Vemula at Hyderabad Central University?

Rohith faced institutional discrimination, academic suspension, and alleged harassment from university authorities. He was isolated from campus facilities and denied basic resources, culminating in a tragic institutional conspiracy that led to his death and remains largely unaccounted for.

What happened to Podile Appa Rao after Rohith Vemula’s death?

Podile Appa Rao, the Vice-chancellor allegedly involved in institutional harassment, was later awarded the ‘Millennium Plaque of Honour’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Indian Science Congress. This recognition despite accusations deepened public outrage and fueled demands for accountability.

Did Rohith Vemula leave a suicide note explaining his reasons?

Yes, Rohith left a poignant letter addressing his internal struggles and systemic victimization. His final words became a powerful testament to institutional apathy, caste discrimination, and the psychological toll of marginalization within Indian higher education systems.

Has justice been served in the Rohith Vemula case?

Nearly a decade later, justice remains delayed and elusive. Despite widespread protests and investigations, alleged perpetrators faced minimal consequences while Rohith’s mother continues her fight for accountability and systemic reform in Indian academia.