The heat generated in Hyderabad following the death of a dalit student singed lucknow on Friday, as a group of students of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University shouted anti-Modi slogans as the PM started his speech forcing him to break his silence over Rohith Vemula’s death saying ‘it is unfortunate that Mother India has lost its son and I feel the family’s pain’.
““Reasons and politics aside, there cannot be a bigger grief than a mother losing her son,” said Modi at the 6th convocation programme of BBAU on Friday afternoon.
A visibly emotional PM took a long pause and said: “I was saddened to know that a youth of my country was compelled to commit suicide and I can feel the pain.”
It was the PM’s first public reaction over the death of dalit research scholar who committed suicide after being expelled from the Hyderabad University alongwith four others. The Opposition parties have been baying for the blood of HRD minister Smriti Irani and labour and Employment minister Bandaru Dattatreya, holding them responsible for abetting Rohith to take the extreme step.
The PM’s words however had a calming effect on the students - majority of them dalits, who were earlier upset with the PM not speaking on the contentious episode even as all political parties filled the charged atmosphere with sound waves.
“We are happy that the PM has finally broken his silence. Today we know, he too shares our grief,” said dalit student of the university, Rajan Sharma.
Earlier as soon as the PM started his address, a group of students led by dalit student Ram Karan chanted slogans - ‘Modi Murdabad’ and ‘Modi vaapas jaao’. Ram Karan is an llM student, who is Gold medalist in the Reserved category. The police personnel deputed there pounced on the sloganeering students before whisking them away.
Fellow students were sympathetic towards Ram Karan, who was the first to be whisked away. His class mate Suresh Chaudhary said that he has a mindest of an activist and is doing specialization on human rights. “He loves to raise issues.
The PM broke his silence only because of Ram Karan,” he opined. Meanwhile the police said that five students have been detained and they were being interrogated.
Started in 2009, the BBAU central university has students from all castes and creeds. Today’s incident was so sudden that even the faculty members were caught unawares. “Credentials of all students had been checked. We are at a loss of words as to how this thing happened,” rued a faculty member preferring anonymity and added that action should be taken against them as per law.
The PM however remained unfazed about the protest and in his almost 30 minute speech advised students to gear up for the future struggle.
“Do not get afraid of failure, as these will teach you how to climb the stairs of success,” Modi said.
“Mostly people who are successful, know how to use their failures in their pursuit of success. Failures are a part of life and one shouldn’t be afraid of them. They should work as fertilizers in achieving success,” said the PM
The PM also reminded, “Whatever you achieve today is due to contribution of a lot of people in the society who knowingly or unknowingly helped you.”
Modi also lauded the Skill Development and Startup schemes and asked the banks to open dalit / Tribal and women branches in every pocket so that Rs 20 lakh loan could be given to the dalit / tribal and women under the scheme.
He also highlighted Dr Ambedkar’s contribution on education saying, “Dr Ambedkar did a lot for the nation but one thing he was particular about was education and he felt that struggles could be overcome through education. He did not live for himself, he dedicated his life to the welfare of the marginalised. He proved himself amidst criticism and insults and didn’t let his commitment to nation die,” he said.
Union Home minister Rajnath Singh in his address stressed on the character development of students in the unversities besides their comprehensive development.
Among the award winners was UP’s prodigal student, Sushma Verma, who was awarded gold medal for topping MSc in Environmental Microbiology.
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