.. But Not Rohit…

Modi and his Ministers
Double speak on Dalits..
Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of trying to instigate Dalits against him..Addressing a meeting in Tamilnadu signaling the start of the BJP’s election campaign Mr. Modi avoided any reference to the major regional players — AIADMK and DMK and took on the Congress accusing it of trying to instigate the Dalits against him. The comments assume significance in the backdrop of the death of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula at the University of Hyderabad,
“When we dedicate ourselves and work for the Dalits and backward communities, some get worried. For long, they have thought that it was [the community] was their vote. So they now want to stop the Dalits from going to Modi. In the name of Dalits, lies are being spread,” the Prime Minister remarked, charging the Opposition with an inability to digest the fact that a person who was once a tea seller now has control over the administration. But of late the chaywala turned Gaywala , is in’t it!

“Now they are propagating falsehood that Modi will kill reservation. I assure you, as long as the name of Ambedkar exists, no one can destroy reservation for Dalits,” Modi said.. some how he forgot the comments made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagavat comments.

But contrary to Modi’s utterences a member of his cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot, speaking at a media event in Jaipur on Tuesday, said Rohith Vemula’s suicide was not a Dalit issue as he was not a Dalit. He was responding to a question from The Hindu on whether the Social Justice Ministry, in the aftermath of Vemula’s suicide, was planning any awareness campaign to sensitise the upper castes towards the problems faced by Dalits. So Modi’s assurences exclude Rohit issue it appears.

“Before Vemula’s suicide, there had been nine suicides on the same campus [University of Hyderabad]. This was the tenth suicide. Why didn’t the first nine suicides become a big issue?” asked Mr. Gehlot. Without stoping there the minister went on to accuse students in the episode.
“Vemula’s suicide note does not name anyone as responsible for his decision. Rather, if you read his letter you will find the needle of suspicion pointing at his own companions, to the members of the association to which he belonged. Despite this, we have not taken action against anyone.” He commented. So it is obvious thst the insensitivity on the issue continues ….

“Secondly, Vemula and his entire family belong to the Vaddera caste and that makes him an OBC. There is thus no question of this being a Dalit versus non-Dalit issue,” Mr. Gehlot repeted the arguments waged by his men in Hyderabad.
Putting restrictions on demands of justice Mr. Gehlot reiterated that the issue of Vemula’s suicide “should be restricted to one about getting justice, support and compensation for his family, and should not be politicised.”

On the otherhand calling the bluff P.L. Punia, Chairman, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, has said there is a design in the assertion of senior Ministers of the Narendra Modi government that Rohith Vemula, a research scholar of the University of Hyderabad, was not a Dalit.

The statements by Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot point to their desperate attempt to help out their Cabinet colleague Bandaru Dattatreya, if he is booked for the violation of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, Mr. Punia told The Hindu. “Why is the BJP so worried about discussing the caste of Rohith Vemula [who committed suicide]if it is not to bail out the Minister, while continuing to show commitment to the Dalit cause,” he asked.

The Act, which received the President’s assent on December 31, 2015, provides for stringent punishment. It has widened the definition of atrocities and provides for a trial to be completed within two months from the date of filing of a charge sheet. The commission which Mr. Punia heads is a constitutional body, empowered to go into complaints of denial of the rights of the Scheduled Castes.

Mr. Punia said the Ministers were now worried by the time-bound trial mandated by the Act, which was passed by the BJP government.”Not a single BJP leader could muster courage to visit the University of Hyderabad after the suicide of Vemula. All they could do was to deny that he was a Dalit,” he said,