New Delhi: The Congress on Friday said it will bring a 'Rohit Vemula Act' to protect Dalit, OBC and minority students from harassment in educational institutions if the party comes to power in 2024. “The students from marginalised communities face atrocities in higher education institutions. The party is committed to bringing a Rohit Vemula Act to protect ST, ST, minority students in such institutions,” AICC general secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh Kumari Selja said.
The decision, she said, was taken at the party’s Plenary Session at Chhattisgarh’s Raipur in February. The party has also set up a National Council for Social Justice for the purpose and will also go for a caste census, if voted to power in 2024. Rohit Vemula, a student of the University of Hyderabad, died by suicide in 2016 after alleged harassment at the campus. Later, Rahul Gandhi visited the place and protested, along with students. Last year, Rohit’s mother joined Rahul during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.
According to Kumari Selja, who is a Dalit leader, “Rohit Vemula’s death was a tragic case. He was from a Dalit background and faced atrocities not only at his institution, but the role of the Central government in the episode was not good.” “Our students are segregated and mentally harassed. As a result, they can’t progress in life. We will bring a law to protect them from such harassment. They should also prosper and contribute to national development,” she said.
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Citing NCRB data, the Congress leader alleged that atrocities against SC and ST had increased under the present government. "We will give effective implementation to the atrocities against SC, ST Act. Cases of atrocities are rising every year. Under the Modi government, crimes against Dalits and Adivasis have gone up. In 2021, there were 50,900 crimes committed against SCs, showing a 32 per cent jump from 38,670 in 2015,” said Selja.
“Similarly, there were 8,802 crimes against STs in 2021, an increase of 34 per cent from 6,568 in 2016. The victim in Hathras, UP not only lost her life, but also has not got justice with three of the four accused acquitted and no convictions for rape,” she said. The Congress leader said that students from marginalised sections should get equal rights under the Constitution and alleged the BJP was continuously attacking Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution and was paying mere lip service to the welfare of the marginalised sections of society.
“The Dalits are bearing the brunt of the growing economic inequalities under this government. Reservation has been reduced through the backdoor and schemes for the benefit of backward classes are being weakened,” Selja said. Kumari Selja, a former union minister, reacted strongly to a query whether the party had earlier experimented by naming a Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi as the Chief Minister of Punjab in 2021 and by electing another Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge as party president in 2022. “The Congress gave a chance to Channi in Punjab by making him the Chief Minister. Kharge's election was not an experiment, but he is the right person and Congress recognises the right persons,” she said.
