Rohith Dies And Multiple Issues Remain Unanswered And Unresolved
By Dr. Vivek Kumar Srivastava
19 January, 2016
Countercurrents.org
Suicide of Rohith is conclusive evidence that in the country monopolistic cultural and hegemonistic ideas are being imposed by some people. Influential ones may be involved in the case of Rohith as FIR has been lodged against Central minister and the Vice Chancellor; is it solution?
Perhaps not because there exists a clear discrimination against the SC and ST students. It is a difficult task for the SC and ST students to complete their course due to non cooperation by people at helm of affairs at different steps.
When a central minister name is found involved in the suicide of Dalit scholar then the sad incident assumes much importance. If we look from pure political framework the inference is that BJP has shown double faces. At one side it wants to associate itself with Ambedkar and his legacy but on the other side its own ministers fall under doubt in the suicide case. This dichotomy reflects the real character of the ruling party. First the members of the party should be taught the values as how to respect the Dalit sentiments. In a democracy everyone has right to say what one feels and discussion can be initiated if the sayings are not illegal. If Rohith had his own viewpoints on certain issues then these were to be satisfied or diluted with the right logic rather pronouncing a subjective decisions on such students.
We live in a country where youths are being encouraged in every field for achievements; every leader is proclaiming that India can reach on top and education will play a critical role in it but when issue of respecting the thoughts of others or respecting the dissent or empowering the students come up, then every leader takes a narrow approach. This is great dilemma of Indian politics.
There was involvement of discriminatory policies against Rohith by the University administration. According to newspaper reports “After the stipend was stopped, his family was struggling to support him. He borrowed Rs 40,000 from a friend and was living frugally. Almost every day, he used to say that his money was stuck, (and) While Rohith, Sankanna, D Prashanth, Vijay Kumar and Sesu Chemudugunta were suspended, ABVP’s Kumar was let off with a warning.” (The Indian Express, Jan 19, 2016)
Indian politics have used the Dalit for votes but have never accepted them in the mainstream life. This is the major reason that suicides are done by the people from the lower castes. Union minister Dattatreya had written letter to the HRD ministry about these students in which he had taken a subjective view which was not the right approach. Sad is to mention that Dattatreya wrote to HRD Minister urging action and claiming that the “Hyderabad University… has in the recent past, become a den of casteist, extremist and anti-national politics” (The Indian Express, Jan 19, 2016)
The role of politicians in deciding the issue in highly personalized manner is highly unacceptable in a free, rule of law based nation. If anyone has any problem with anyone recourse to law is always available there but Indian politicians whatsoever are their affiliations, feel as sovereign.
All the great men in the country always paid attention to the University education, even Ambedkar obtained the highest education; they thought universities as temple of learning where the mind is liberated , but Rohith is case in point where he was forced to end the life, when he analysed that he was being victimized with no solution left with. For him liberation of mind and thoughts were only invitation to a coercion which comes in different forms and these came in the form of expulsion. These leaders never know the trauma and labour a Phd scholar faces during the completion of the course. These leaders have attained higher political positions just by net working, sycophancy and manipulating the weaknesses of the common voters, the reality is that most of these cannot even qualify a good standard examination, leave alone to pass the Phd course and complete the studies with high quality efforts.
The suicide also raises the issue of uni culturalism being imposed in the country. If you have singular identity of a particular religion and subscribe to a particular ideology, then you are a good individual. BJP has followed in the footsteps of Congress which on the other hand in the name of secularism just went for extreme appeasement and lost the electoral battle. Such hegemony of ideas by political parties needs to be taken note by the individuals quite carefully. The role of intellectuals become crucial in this matter.
The suicide also highlights the functioning of the higher institutions in the country. Central universities are established with an act of the parliament and its faculties enjoy the privileged position, in state universities most of the faculties do not wish to visit their class rooms in a regular manner. The classes are not organized in the right manner. No new knowledge is imparted and students find no careers. The research production of state university teachers is almost un impactful and insignificant; Central Universities also lag at global level. Hence government should take a NET examination of the regular teachers at a gap of three years ; the failed ones should be removed from the jobs. There exists a truthful possibility that a large section of the teachers will find it hard to cross this examination.
Hence the suicide of Rohith has multiple aspects. It is suggestive of the fact that Indian politics has moved away from the true values of existence. We must attempt to find out the deep malaise rooted in the mindset of the politicians, academicians, and policy makers; only when these are eliminated, the right policies can be framed.
India is country with multiple identities and every individual may possess different cultures, identities and thoughts. None is so much powerful to destroy a multicultural individual. None can destroy it. No politician or University or its agencies and apparatus are powerful to do so. Suicide of Rohith should not go in vain and it must be allowed to start a decisive discussion which must focus on the issues raised.
Dr. Vivek Kumar Srivastava is Assistant Professor, CSJM Kanpur University (affiliated College) and Vice Chairman CSSP, e [email protected]