Radhika Vemula
Born
Andhra Pradesh, India
OccupationActivist
ChildrenRohith, Raja, and Nileema

Radhika Vemula is an Indian activist for Dalit rights and against caste based discrimination.[1][2][3][4]

She continues the work started by her son, Rohith Vemula (leader of Ambedkar Students' Association), who committed suicide in the University of Hyderabad in 2016 - an incident which sparked outrage across India and gained widespread media attention as a case of Dalit discrimination in Indian universities. During the protest at the University of Hyderabad, police had arrested Radhika Vemula and other students on the first death anniversary of her son. She is seeking to end caste discrimination in universities and other higher education institutions.[5] [6]

Family

Radhika Vemula mothered three children, her older son Rohith(30/01/1989 to 17/01/2016),a younger son Raja, and her daughter Nileema.[1]

Conversion to Buddhism

On 14 April 2016, on the 125th Ambedkar Jayanti, Radhika Vemula, and her son Raja converted to Buddhism in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of Babasaheb Ambedkar, initiated the Rohith's family to Buddhism at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhavan in Dadar, Mumbai.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ a b Minhaz, Ayesha. "Born Dalit: Meet Radhika Vemula, Rohith's mother". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  2. ^ "A Year After Rohith's Death, Radhika Vemula Continues To Be Harassed And Humiliated". HuffPost India. 2017-01-23. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  3. ^ "A mother's metamorphosis". The Week. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  4. ^ "Standing In Solidarity with Radhika Vemula on International Women's Day". Auburn Seminary. 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  5. ^ Scroll Staff. "SC agrees to hear plea of Payal Tadvi and Rohith Vemula's mothers, asks Centre to respond in 4 weeks". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  6. ^ "Rohith Vemula's mother, students arrested as protest rocks Hyderabad varsity". 17 January 2017.
  7. ^ "रोहित वेमुला के परिवार ने अपनाया बौद्ध धर्म".
  8. ^ "रोहित के परिवार ने हिंदू धर्म छोड़ा, बने बौद्ध". 14 April 2016.


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